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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Israel 'to intensify Gaza attacks' | Israel 'to intensify Gaza attacks' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "further intensify attacks on Hamas" in the Gaza Strip after talks with his defence chiefs. | Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to "further intensify attacks on Hamas" in the Gaza Strip after talks with his defence chiefs. |
| He said the Palestinian militants would "pay a heavy price" for their rocket attacks on Israel. | He said the Palestinian militants would "pay a heavy price" for their rocket attacks on Israel. |
| Israel's military said Hamas had fired 72 rockets at Israeli cities on Wednesday, after dozens of air strikes were carried out in Gaza overnight. | Israel's military said Hamas had fired 72 rockets at Israeli cities on Wednesday, after dozens of air strikes were carried out in Gaza overnight. |
| Some 40 Palestinians are reported to have died in the recent hostilities. | Some 40 Palestinians are reported to have died in the recent hostilities. |
| The officials say half of the casualties were civilians, a number of them women and children. | The officials say half of the casualties were civilians, a number of them women and children. |
| Hamas has warned that all Israelis are now targets. | Hamas has warned that all Israelis are now targets. |
| Israel earlier said it might send ground troops into Gaza. It has authorised the call-up of up to 40,000 military reservists. | Israel earlier said it might send ground troops into Gaza. It has authorised the call-up of up to 40,000 military reservists. |
| 'Aggression' | 'Aggression' |
| The Israeli military said its Iron Dome missile defence system had intercepted 14 of 72 rockets fired on Wednesday, including three above Tel Aviv, three over Ashkelon and three over Ashdod. | |
| The town of Hadera 100km (60 miles) north of Gaza, was hit with an M-302 surface-to-surface rocket, the furthest target so far reached. | The town of Hadera 100km (60 miles) north of Gaza, was hit with an M-302 surface-to-surface rocket, the furthest target so far reached. |
| The Israeli military added that it had carried out 129 air strikes in Gaza on Wednesday, bombarding tunnels, rocket launchers and what it said were Hamas command centres. | The Israeli military added that it had carried out 129 air strikes in Gaza on Wednesday, bombarding tunnels, rocket launchers and what it said were Hamas command centres. |
| It brings to 550 the number of sites in Gaza attacked as part of "Operation Protective Edge". | It brings to 550 the number of sites in Gaza attacked as part of "Operation Protective Edge". |
| Mark Regev, spokesman for Mr Netanyahu, earlier confirmed that the situation was more one of escalation than de-escalation. | Mark Regev, spokesman for Mr Netanyahu, earlier confirmed that the situation was more one of escalation than de-escalation. |
| He told the BBC the Israeli army was acting to "dismantle Hamas's military machine". | He told the BBC the Israeli army was acting to "dismantle Hamas's military machine". |
| "We don't want to have some sort of band-aid solution whereby we have a quick fix, a ceasefire and then we only have rockets on Israeli citizens next week," he said. | "We don't want to have some sort of band-aid solution whereby we have a quick fix, a ceasefire and then we only have rockets on Israeli citizens next week," he said. |
| Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kedra told AFP news agency that Israeli air strikes on Wednesday had killed four Palestinians in Shejaiya and two in Zeitun - both close to Gaza City - and two more in Beit Hanoun. | Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kedra told AFP news agency that Israeli air strikes on Wednesday had killed four Palestinians in Shejaiya and two in Zeitun - both close to Gaza City - and two more in Beit Hanoun. |
| Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded that Israel immediately stop the raids on Gaza and appealed for calm. | Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded that Israel immediately stop the raids on Gaza and appealed for calm. |
| Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said Israel had violated the Egyptian-brokered truce that ended exchanges in 2012. | Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida said Israel had violated the Egyptian-brokered truce that ended exchanges in 2012. |
| "In the face of this aggression, we affirm that the Zionist enemy should not dream of calm and stability," he said. | "In the face of this aggression, we affirm that the Zionist enemy should not dream of calm and stability," he said. |
| Analysis by the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem | Analysis by the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Jerusalem |
| As the military temperature rises, it becomes harder to see what the shape of any endgame between Israel and Gaza might look like. | As the military temperature rises, it becomes harder to see what the shape of any endgame between Israel and Gaza might look like. |
| Hamas will find it difficult to walk away from this round of conflict without something to persuade its own people that the death and destruction in Gaza has achieved something. It will want prisoners released as part of a deal. Israel will be reluctant. | Hamas will find it difficult to walk away from this round of conflict without something to persuade its own people that the death and destruction in Gaza has achieved something. It will want prisoners released as part of a deal. Israel will be reluctant. |
| The pressure of public opinion too weighs on Israel, which has talked in terms of a final end to the rocket threat from Gaza. That's a tall order when Israel itself estimates that Hamas has a stockpile of 10,000. | The pressure of public opinion too weighs on Israel, which has talked in terms of a final end to the rocket threat from Gaza. That's a tall order when Israel itself estimates that Hamas has a stockpile of 10,000. |
| Such cycles of conflict have ended in the past of course - as recently as November 2012 - but for now the talk is of deterioration, when last week the buzzword was de-escalation. Egypt's intelligence services remain a possible go-between but for now there appear to be no moves towards peace. When an Israeli cabinet minister was asked if there were any, he said simply: "Not now." | Such cycles of conflict have ended in the past of course - as recently as November 2012 - but for now the talk is of deterioration, when last week the buzzword was de-escalation. Egypt's intelligence services remain a possible go-between but for now there appear to be no moves towards peace. When an Israeli cabinet minister was asked if there were any, he said simply: "Not now." |
| Why Israeli Gaza invasion would be risky | Why Israeli Gaza invasion would be risky |
| 'No safe haven' | 'No safe haven' |
| The head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, Raji Sourani, accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. | The head of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza, Raji Sourani, accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians. |
| He told the BBC: "There is no safe haven in this place and Palestinian civilians are once again in the eye of the storm and are paying heavily. Israelis are trying to pressure militant groups through targeting civilians." | He told the BBC: "There is no safe haven in this place and Palestinian civilians are once again in the eye of the storm and are paying heavily. Israelis are trying to pressure militant groups through targeting civilians." |
| Tensions rose last week with the murders of three young Israelis in the occupied West Bank and a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem. | Tensions rose last week with the murders of three young Israelis in the occupied West Bank and a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem. |
| Israel says Hamas was behind the abduction and murder of the Israeli youths - a claim it denies. | Israel says Hamas was behind the abduction and murder of the Israeli youths - a claim it denies. |
| A day after their funerals, the Palestinian youth was abducted in East Jerusalem and murdered. Police have arrested six Jewish suspects and say it seems the 16-year-old was killed because of his nationality. | A day after their funerals, the Palestinian youth was abducted in East Jerusalem and murdered. Police have arrested six Jewish suspects and say it seems the 16-year-old was killed because of his nationality. |
| Israel's Iron Dome missile shield |