Internet connectivity was partially restored in the Gaza Strip early Sunday after the besieged enclave was plunged into a near total communications blackout following Israeli strikes on telecoms infrastructure. The disruption to communications in Gaza severely impacted humanitarian work, aid agencies said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday said the “second stage” of war against Hamas was underway, as Israel expanded its ground operations in Gaza. The war will be “long and difficult,” he warned, though Israeli officials would not definitively say whether the escalation represents the start of the anticipated major ground incursion.