Gaza conflict: Israel escalates attacks, death toll climbs to 116
14 May, 2021 01:01 AM
6 minutes to read
Israel and Hamas tensions flare as rocket attacks are launched on the Gaza Strip. Video / AP
Israel and Hamas tensions flare as rocket attacks are launched on the Gaza Strip. Video / AP
AP
Israel on Thursday (local time) said it was massing troops along the Gaza frontier and calling up 9,000 reservists ahead of a possible ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory, as the two bitter enemies plunged closer to all-out war. Egyptian mediators rushed to Israel for cease-fire efforts but showed no signs of progress.
The stepped-up fighting came as communal violence in Israel erupted for a fourth night, with Jewish and Arab mobs clashing in the flashpoint town of Lod. The fighting took place despite a bolstered police presence ordered by the nation's leaders.