A new wave of Israeli airstrikes battered areas of Gaza early Thursday, continuing the deadly onslaught aimed at stopping militant rocket fire into Israel.
The days-long aerial bombardment
of Gaza has killed 81 Palestinians, including women and children, and injured
more than 500 since it began Monday, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said the offensive would be expanded and continue "until the firing at
our communities stops and quiet is restored."
But there was no sign that Hamas
and other militant groups in Gaza were backing down as rockets continued to
streak over the border into southern Israel. No Israelis have been killed so far
in the rocket attacks.
Some Israeli officials have
hinted at the possibility of a ground offensive in Gaza, although questions
remain about the government's appetite for such a conflict.
President Shimon Peres, whose
role is largely ceremonial and is not involved in setting policy, said in an
exclusive interview with CNN's Becky Anderson that he believed a ground
offensive "may happen quite soon" unless Hamas stops firing rockets at
Israel.
"We warned them. We asked them to
stop it," Peres told Anderson. "We waited one day, two days, three days and they
continued, and they spread their fire on more areas in Israel."
While Peres was speaking on his
own and his position may not outline an official government policy, Israeli
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz earlier told CNN that a ground operation
"might become necessary."
Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, convened an emergency meeting of his cabinet on
Wednesday to discuss the crisis.
"This war is not against Hamas
or another political party but it is against the Palestinian people," he told
the media afterward. "What do you call this crime? What is this crime known
under international law? To kill entire families, is this collective
punishment?
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