At least 55 people were killed in overnight raids on the Gaza Strip, Hamas said, after Israel announced it was stepping up strikes.
”More than 55 martyrs,” the Hamas government said in a statement on the latest night of bombing.
It added that more than 30 homes had been destroyed in the hours after an Israeli military spokesman said that raids would be increased.
The Hamas government says more than 4,300 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli raids since the war started in response to the worst attacks suffered by Israel with 1,400 dead, also mainly civilians.
Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops around Gaza for a widely predicted ground invasion. It says its daily raids have already killed many Hamas leaders and military commanders.
“From today, we are increasing the strikes and minimising the danger,” an Israeli military spokesman said late Saturday.
“We will increase the attacks and therefore I called on Gaza City residents to continue moving south for their safety.”
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