As the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)Cast Lead operation entered its eighth day, the IDF Saturday evening began its ground incursion into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, vowing to destroy "terror infrastructure" of Hamas.
Watch Israeli forces launch ground offensive in Gaza

"On Saturday evening, the IDF began its ground incursion into Gaza," an IDF spokesman told Xinhua on the phone, saying that Cast Lead operation is now entering the second stage.

An Israeli military vehicle runs to north Gaza Strip after Israel started the ground operation on January 3, 2009. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Saturday evening began its ground operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, an IDF spokesman told Xinhua. [Yin Bogu/Xinhua]

The purpose of the ground incursion is to destroy "terror infrastructure of Hamas", said the spokesman, adding that the IDF soldiers have entered Gaza and exchanged fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza.

Firelight is seen after an explosion in north Gaza Strip after Israel started the ground operation on January 3, 2009. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Saturday evening began its ground operation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, an IDF spokesman told Xinhua. [Yin BoguXinhua]

"The incursion will last as long as necessary in order to achieve the goals of the operation," he noted.

Local daily Ha'aretz quoted IDF Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, as saying that "the objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations."

"We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas," she said.

The IDF spokesperson's office issued a statement, emphasizing that this stage of the operation will further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: to strike a direct and hard blow against Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of southern Israel over the long term.