Hamas focuses on Jerusalem in major escalation.
Israel called up a huge number of reservists and massed troops across the border with Gaza, signaling a ground invasion with the densely populated seaside strip may very well be imminent. The attack on Jerusalem, along with an earlier strike on the actual metropolis of Tel Aviv, raised the likelihood that Israel would soon move in.
Israel triggered the current preventing by assassinating the military chief with the ruling Hamas militant group on Wednesday, then conducting dozens of airstrikes on weapons-storage sites utilized by rocket squads. The sudden attack came in reply to days of heavy rocket flames from Gaza.
Israeli leaders have threatened to widen the operation in the event the rocket fire doesn't halt. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said choices included the possible assassination of Hamas' prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as other top leaders.
"Every time that Hamas fires there will be a more and more severe response, " he told Sales channel 2 TV. "I really recommend each of the Hamas leadership in Gaza not to try us again.... Nobody can be immune there, not Haniyeh but not anybody else. "
While Israeli military officials insist they have got inflicted heavy damage on Hamas, there was no halt to the militants' skyrocket fire. Hundreds of rockets are actually fired, including a number of sophisticated weapons no time before used.
The rocket attack on Jerusalem was unprecedented, setting off the eerie wail of air raid sirens along the city shortly after the beginning of the Jewish sabbath, a time period when roads are empty. Police said the rocket landed in an open area southeast of town. Earlier Friday, Hamas fired a rocket at Tel Aviv that also landed in an open area.
Israel's two largest cities have never before been exposed to skyrocket fire from Hamas-ruled Gaza.
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