Israel ready to invade

Israel is preparing for an invasion of Gaza as its latest conflict with Hamas intensifies.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, issued orders for a possible ground offensive in a three-hour meeting with defence chiefs, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said the troops were being called up from 40000 reservists authorised earlier by the security cabinet.

''The prime minister's instruction by the end of the meeting was to prepare for a thorough, long, continuous and strong campaign in Gaza," a senior Israeli official told Haaretz.

''The prime minister instructed the army to be ready to go all in. A ground offensive is on the table.''

Earlier yesterday, Israel escalated its bombardment of Gaza, hitting dozens of targets, including several houses, in response to a barrage of rocket fire that it blamed on the territory's Hamas rulers.

Palestinian officials said at least 11 people had been killed in the bombardment.

The Israeli military said it targeted about 90 sites in aerial and naval assaults overnight and resumed air strikes yesterday.

Israeli officials have said that the new offensive - dubbed Operation Defensive Edge - can easily be scaled down if Hamas gives the right signals.

"Each succeeding day will be harder for Hamas," a senior official said. "We will escalate the attacks to make it clear to them that it is in their interest to stop the rocket fire. We do not want to engage in a large-scale ground operation in Gaza, but we are prepared to broaden the operation in case the rocket fire does not stop."

But Hamas warned that it would avenge the attacks after claiming responsibility for a barrage of about 85 missiles that struck Israeli territory on Monday evening. It was the first time the Islamist organisation had admitted firing at Israel since a ceasefire agreement in November 2012.

A recent upsurge in rocket fire is thought to have been the work of smaller factions.