Nearly a day after Israel embarked upon its most extensive ground operation in the Gaza Strip in three weeks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday that his military has “completed a phase in the war,” and will continue its expanded ground activity in the Gaza Strip until further notice. The comments raise the prospect that a long-anticipated sustained Israeli ground incursion could have begun. Israeli aircraft also unleashed a punishing bombardment of Gaza, dropping powerful munitions to destroy underground targets. The Palestinian enclave faced a “total or near total” internet blackout, according to internet monitoring groups, as the World Health Organization said it was impossible to evacuate patients under the bombardment and ambulances were unable to reach the injured in the blackout.