Israel-Palestine conflict Update: Netanyahu warns of ‘long’ Hamas war

Fears of a ground invasion of Gaza are growing after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to turn the besieged Palestinian enclave into a “deserted island” and warned its trapped residents to “leave now”.

Israeli forces stepped up the bombardment of Gaza after Hamas’s military operation on Saturday, flattening a 14-story tower that held dozens of apartments as well as the Palestinian group’s offices in central Gaza City.

The latest escalation has killed at least 232 Palestinians and some 250 Israelis.

Hamas said it has also captured many Israelis and that the hostages were spread throughout all areas of the Gaza Strip.

Inside Israel, fierce battles are continuing between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters, including in the southern city of Sderot where troops are attempting to bulldoze a police station seized by Palestinians.

Hamas’s operation came on the heels of the killing of widespread Israeli settler attacks, increased tensions at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem and a record number of Palestinians killed.