Israel has warned it could broaden a ground assault on the Gaza Strip as the death toll from Tel Aviv regime’s land, sea and air onslaught against the besieged Palestinian coastal enclave has exceeded 350.
On Friday, Israel approved the call-up of another 18,000 reservists, taking the total number approved to 65,000.
The measure came a day after thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks launched amphibious, air and ground incursions into the narrow Gaza Strip.
The ground operation followed a brief truce earlier on Thursday. The UN-brokered five-hour lull in fighting gave the residents of the Gaza Strip time to crowd into stores and vegetable markets after more than a week of being mostly holed up at home for fear of airstrikes.
But the streets emptied out quickly after fierce fighting between Israel and the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas resumed.
An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian children feeding pigeons on the roof of their home.
Hamas has vowed that Tel Aviv will “pay a high price” for its “foolish” actions after Israeli military began the ground invasion of Gaza.
Israel has now intensified its shelling by tanks and artillery in the northern and eastern Gaza.
Thousands of Israeli soldiers have gathered on the border with Gaza in recent days, waiting for the order to go in.
A total of 357 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli regime and nearly 2,700 have been wounded.
