Israel To Widen Gaza Offensive 'Significantly'

Israel's military is ready for a "significant expansion" of the Gaza ground offensive that has already claimed at least 24 lives.

The offensive began on Thursday night with the aim of destroying the weapons arsenal, infrastructure and underground tunnels used by Hamas, Israeli officials claimed.

An Israeli soldier and at least 23 Palestinians have already been killed in the operation, according to Palestinian officials.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned: "My instructions are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the military is preparing accordingly."

Smoke billows in Gaza after an air strike on Friday

Mr Netanyahu said a ground assault was the only way to infiltrate Hamas' underground network.

By daylight IDF reported it had "neutralised 14 terrorists, destroyed 20 rocket launchers, carried out nine strikes on tunnels and hit a total of 103 terror targets".

Israel confirmed 20-year-old Sgt Eitan Barak had been "killed fighting Hamas terrorists". The country's media is investigating the possibility he was a victim of so-called friendly fire.

Sgt Eitan Barak, killed in fighting overnight. Pic: Israeli Defence Force

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the ground offensive "foolish", adding that Israel would suffer "dreadful consequences".

Four members of one family in Khan Younis were among the dead, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Meanwhile, Israel claimed 50 rockets were fired from Gaza overnight - 25 slamming into its territory.

Those injured in explosions and fighting are arriving at hospitals in Gaza

Gaza health officials said the 23 killed in the operation included a three-month-old boy who died after a shell hit his family's Bedouin tent in southern Gaza.

Israeli tanks and troops moved into Gaza following a 10-day campaign of more than 2,000 airstrikes that had failed to halt relentless Hamas rocket fire on Israeli cities.

It is the first major Israeli ground offensive in Gaza in just over five years.

Israeli tanks sit next to a gap in the wall seperating Gaza and Israel

The army has confirmed that a draft of 18,000 more reserve soldiers has been authorised by the government.     

Mr Netanyahu's chief spokesman Mark Regev told Sky News the decision to launch the offensive had not been taken "lightly" but that action needed to be taken to "protect our citizens".

He said the chance of a ceasefire is now very unlikely: "This operation is only happening because Hamas rejected the ceasefire proposal supported by Egypt, a proposal supported by the United Nations."

Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal said the operation was destined to fail, in remarks to AFP in the Qatari capital.

Israeli rocket fire into Gaza

"What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive. It is bound to fail," Mr Meshaal said from his exile in Doha.

Egypt's foreign ministry denounced Israel's "escalation" in Gaza and again demanded both sides accept a Cairo-proposed truce.

The ground campaign followed a brief truce earlier on Thursday in which Israel held fire to allow Gazans to stock up on food and other necessities after being largely holed up at home since the conflict began last month.

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