Israeli military

 Israel struck targets in the Gaza Strip with stepped-up bombardment and artillery fire overnight into Saturday, knocking out communications and creating a near-blackout of information by largely cutting off the besieged enclave's 2.3 million people from contact with the outside world.

Relentless pounding by Israeli military – They are hitting tunnels & infrastructure of Hamas terrorists according to the spokesman of the Israeli Armed Forces

Israeli ground forces have penetrated relatively deep into the territory of the Gaza Strip, Israel's army radio reported. Numerous targets of the Islamist organization "Hamas" in the northern part of the strip were attacked.

Video footage of the overnight action shows armored vehicles driving through a sandy border zone, tank fire and explosions near destroyed buildings.

Israeli troops and tanks launched a brief ground raid into northern Gaza overnight into Thursday, the military said, striking several militant targets in order to "prepare the battlefield" ahead of a widely expected ground invasion after more than two weeks of devastating air raids.

Israel's military said it was preparing for a "relentless attacks" against Hamas. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the death toll in Gaza has already exceeded 5,000. Israeli airstrikes have continued for more than two weeks in response to a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people.

An Israeli civilian was injured in the occupied West Bank Sunday when troops fired at a group of "masked suspects" who turned out to be Israeli citizens, the army said.

Israel carried out air strikes in Syria near the government-held city of Homs, Syrian state media reported on Sunday, and the Israeli army later said it had responded to rocket fire.

Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, setting fire to dozens of cars and homes to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen the previous day, residents said. Palestinians said one man was killed in the violence.

A Palestinian prisoner died in Israeli custody early Tuesday after a hunger strike of nearly three months, Israel's prison service announced.

Greece condemned on Friday a barrage of rocket attacks against Israel which Israeli military blamed on Palestinian militants and urged both sides to show "restraint", citing the religious holidays.