TEL AVIV — The Israeli military is thrusting deeper into the Gaza Strip in a ground assault that has encircled the Palestinian enclave’s biggest city and cut off the main roads connecting its north and south, Israeli officials and Western military analysts said.

The campaign has been shrouded in mystery, with growing numbers of Hamas fighters and Israeli soldiers reported dead, but without a clear, publicly stated plan from Israel about how this campaign might end — or, in fact, a statement that it had even begun. Experts have been forced to read between the lines of nonspecific military briefings, satellite imagery and shaky footage from the battlefield.

On the other hand, the mounting Palestinian civilian death toll is more than apparent. Israel blames Hamas for using people as human shields, but international organizations and even the United States are becoming increasingly alarmed at the civilian cost of Israel’s intensifying operation in the densely populated enclave.

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Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a message Friday afternoon that Muslim Americans and others sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians have been looking for from the White House for weeks.

“There must be no conflation between Hamas and the Palestinians. Palestinians deserve equal measures of safety and security, self-determination, and dignity,” Harris wrote on the social media platform X.

Without mentioning Israel by name, she added, “We have been very clear that the rules of war must be adhered to and that there be humanitarian aid that flows.”

The message comes as a growing number of Democratic lawmakers express concern about Israel’s intensifying response in Gaza to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, and as the White House tries to recalibrate its message to address those concerns.

As Israeli forces deepen their ground invasion into Gaza, the death toll is rising on the battlefield. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said 341 IDF soldiers, 58 Israeli police and 10 members of Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet have died during the conflict.

"Just moments ago I spoke with some of the commanders in the field and I wish to convey to you: Morale is high; they are strong; they are determined; they are prepared; they know what they are fighting for," Hagari said.

He said this evening, IDF troops and commanders will have Shabbat dinner on the battlefield.

Hagari also reported that 10 members of Hamas with a rank equivalent to battalion or brigade commander have been killed. In the north, the IDF struck Hezbollah anti-tank firing positions and a Hezbollah military post in response to missiles fired from Lebanese territory, Hagari said. He added that anyone trying to approach the northern border fence "will be eliminated."

Of the 53 journalist fatalities this year, 36 have happened in the Israel-Hamas war. Twelve of those have been reported killed in the past eight days.

Built over decades, hundreds of Hamas tunnels built below the Gaza Strip pose problems for Israeli forces fighting in the enclave. Promoted by the militant group on social media, they hide fighters, weapons and hostages.

Israel has built underground walls to try to neutralize them and used radar to try to map out what Hamas claims is over 300 miles of tunnels, crossing just 25 miles of territory.

In a joint statement, the National Security Council in the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel encourage the public to "avoid openly displaying Israeli and Jewish symbols and features" when traveling abroad.

This comes as the NSC and MFA report a significant rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel incidents, warning the public that Jewish communities and establishments are "key targets" for protests and attacks.

The statement also suggests checking for anti-Israel protests when traveling and avoiding going to countries for which travel warnings have been issued, "especially Arab and Middle Eastern countries, the North Caucasus and countries bordering Iran."

The Israel Defense Forces says one of its aircraft struck an ambulance it believes was being used by Hamas and close to one of the group's positions "in the battle zone."

Earlier, Hamas accused Israel of targeting Al Shifa, Al Quds and Indonesian hospitals in its airstrikes. Reuters also released video appearing to show a damaged and blood-stained ambulance in front of Al Shifa hospital, which is holding thousands of displaced people.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society also accused Israeli forces of launching an airstrike on ambulances. The PRCS released an image it says shows one of its ambulances, blood-stained and damaged, in front of Al Shifa hospital.

“A number” of Hamas members were killed in the strike, according to the IDF, which added that it had evidence that Hamas uses ambulances to move its fighters and weapons.

NBC News was not able to confirm this account. The IDF promised to release more information on the incident.

One hundred U.S. citizens and their family members left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing Thursday and received assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing today.

Jean-Pierre added that the citizens included in the White House's count are only those who sought consular assistance, which means the real number of Americans that departed is likely higher.

“We continue to be focused on getting as many Americans out as quickly as possible and we expect more Americans to depart over the next several days, but of course this is a fluid situation,” Jean-Pierre said.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society accused Israeli forces of launching an airstrike on a group of ambulances, one of which belonged to PRCS, that were returning from a mission to transport injured individuals to the Rafah border crossing.

The PRCS, which is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, posted footage of ambulances with shattered windscreens on X. The humanitarian group said the ambulances were traveling on Rashid Street in western Gaza when the strike happened around 4:30 p.m. Gaza time, but said the PRCS members were not injured.

Another post by the PRCS accused Israeli forces of a strike on one of their ambulance vehicles outside of Al Shifa hospital, also saying their colleagues were not injured.

The IDF told Reuters that it is looking into the report.