Israel, Hamas intensify attacks

Palestinian militants have fired more rockets at Israeli cities after Israel carried out dozens of overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip, BBC reported.

Israel said it had intercepted eight rockets over Tel Aviv, Ashkelon and Ashdod on Wednesday morning.

Reports from Gaza said at least eight people had been killed in the latest Israeli air strikes.

Gaza officials say 35 Palestinians have now died in the recent hostilities, with 150 more injured.

The officials say half of the casualties are civilians, a num

Israeli army gearing up for ground invasion in Gaza
Israeli army gearing up for ground invasion in Gaza

ber of them women and children.

The military wing of Hamas has warned that all Israelis are now targets.

Israel has said it will expand its campaign against Hamas.

Israel’s military said that overnight it had targeted 118 concealed rocket launchers, 10 Hamas command-and-control centres and 10 tunnels.

It brought to 440 the number of targets in Gaza attacked as part of “Operation Protective Edge”.

The military said 117 rockets had hit Israel on Tuesday, with the Iron Dome interceptor system shooting down 20. Three rockets landed around Jerusalem. Iron Dome intercepted two more rockets above Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning, three over Ashkelon and three over Ashdod.

The town of Hadera 100km (60 miles) north of Gaza, was also attacked, with an M-302 surface-to-surface rocket, the furthest target so far reached.

Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kedra told AFP news agency that Israeli air strikes on Wednesday had killed four Palestinians in Shejaiya and two in Zeitun – both close to Gaza City – and two more in Beit Hanoun.