The Israeli army, backed by fighter jets and drones, has carried out a second limited ground raid into Gaza and struck targets on the outskirts of Gaza City, according to its military, as it prepares for a widely expected ground invasion. The Israeli military said on Friday that ground forces entered Gaza overnight and struck dozens of Hamas targets during its raid in the Shujaiya area. The Israeli army had conducted another ground operation using tanks and infantry overnight on Thursday in the northern part of the Palestinian territory; it said its ground forces battled fighters and struck antitank missile firing positions in an operation that lasted hours. Israeli military officials, on several occasions, have confirmed the army’s readiness to conduct a large-scale ground operation in Gaza, but are awaiting a green light from the Israeli political leadership.