Gaza toll rises as Israel prepares for wider invasion

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said that his country is prepared for a "significant expansion" of the ground invasion in Gaza, after overnight bombardments killed dozens of Palestinians.

The Israeli prime minister on Friday said that he instructed the army to "prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation".

"We don't want to kill civilians, but Hamas is a terrorist organisation that hides behind human sheilds," said Netanyahu. He added that the ground invasion's stated aim of destroying tunnels used by Hamas fighters could not be done "only from the air".

The Israeli military begun a ground offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, stepping up its 10-day-old military operation.

Netanyahu's comments came after a night of bombing throughout the strip, which killed 24 Palestinians and injured a further 200.

The Israeli army announced that a soldier had been killed, and two others were wounded, in operations inside the Gaza Strip.

The overall death toll has risen to at least 265 Palestinians since the beginning of Israel's operation eleven days ago.

Israeli troops had moved several kilometres into the strip in operations the army said were targeting tunnels used by Hamas, the group which controls Gaza, but the incursions so far appeared limited.

Troops and tanks were sent into Gaza to deal "a significant blow to Hamas", Israel said.

Witnesses in Gaza reported heavy bombing from jets, warships and artillery stationed along the border late on Thursday, with much of the firing directed at northern Gaza.

Electricity was cut off across a large swathe of the strip, though it was unclear why.

Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, said: "The military objectives are twofold.

"To strike Hamas as a terrorist organisation, which is globally labelled, so that they do not have the motivation to continue this aggression against Israel.

"And second of all to strike the terrorist infrastructure, the rockets, the tunnels, the mechanisms that they are using to strike and attack Israel."

Palestinian officials said 19 Palestinians were killed in heavy fighting overnight, bringing the death toll to 259, including 39 children. More than 1,900 Palestinians have also been injured.

The Israeli military said that one soldier was killed in the north of Gaza on Friday, but the circumstances surrounding the death remain unclear. One Israeli was killed by rocket fire from Gaza earlier this week.

Palestinian militants have fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israeli cities since fighting began.

“In light of Hamas' criminal and relentless aggression, as well as the dangerous attempt to infiltrate Israeli territory, Israel must act to defend its citizens,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum called the decision foolish and “uncalculated” and said there would be serious consequences.

An Israeli civilian was killed from mortar fire, and several Israelis have been seriously injured, Israeli medics say.