In Pictures

In Pictures: Gaza-Israel violence intensifies amid invasion fears

Israel’s Netanyahu steps up tank, artillery and infantry forces around the Gaza Strip amid ongoing raids.

A ball of fire is seen during an Israeli air strike in Gaza City May 4, 2019. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A ball of fire is seen during an Israeli air raid in Gaza City. [Suhaib Salem/Reuters]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has ordered “massive strikes” in the Gaza Strip after a two-day escalation that killed nine Palestinians and three Israelis.

“This morning I instructed the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) to continue with massive strikes against terrorists in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu, who doubles as Israeli defence minister, said in a statement after consulting with his security cabinet on Sunday.

“I also instructed that forces around the Gaza Strip be stepped up with tank, artillery and infantry forces,” Netanyahu added, stoking fears of a ground invasion into Gaza.

The new hostilities, which first broke out on Friday, flared on Sunday, with Palestinians fleeing Israeli raids in Gaza and air-raid sirens sending Israelis running to shelters as interceptor missiles blew up rockets from Gaza in the sky.

Israeli media reported Gaza fighters over the past two days fired more than 400 rockets at towns and cities in southern Israel and that the Israeli Iron Dome anti-missile system had intercepted more than 250 of them.

The government media office in Gaza said Israeli warplanes carried out about 150 raids, in addition to artillery-shelling targeting 200 civilian landmarks in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions.

About 40 Palestinians were wounded in the attacks, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Israel has waged three offensives on Gaza since December 2008.

The last war in 2014 severely damaged Gaza’s already weak infrastructure, prompting the United Nations to warn that the strip would be “uninhabitable” by 2020.

Palestinians stand in front of a destroyed multi-story building was hit by Israeli airstrikes late Saturday in Gaza City, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets — Palestinians stand in front of a destroyed multi-storey building which was hit by Israeli air raids late on Saturday in Gaza City. [Khalil Hamra/AP Photo]

The sister of Palestinian militant Emad Naseer, who was killed in an Israeli air strike, reacts with her hand stained with his blood, during his funeral in the northern Gaza Strip May 4, 2019. REUTERS — The sister of Imad Nseir, who was killed in an Israeli air raid, reacts with her hand stained with his blood, during his funeral in the northern Gaza Strip. [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

A Palestinian boy enters his family''s damaged apartment following Israeli air strikes on Rafah in the southern Gaza strip on May 5, 2019. Gaza militants fired fresh rocket barrages at Israel early tod — A Palestinian boy enters his family's damaged apartment following an Israeli air raid on Rafah in the southern Gaza strip. [Said Khatib/AFP]

Palestinians hug each other in front of the remains of a building that was destroyed in Israeli air strikes, in Gaza City May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem — Palestinians hug in front of the remains of a building destroyed in Israeli air raids in Gaza City. [Suhaib Salem/Reuters]

A man checks the damge on May 5, 2019, inside a clothing shop that was hit during Israeli air strikes. Gaza militants fired fresh rocket barrages at Israel early today in a deadly escalation that has — A man checks the damage inside a clothing shop hit during Israeli air raids. [Mahmud Hams/AFP]

Israelis take cover as a siren sounds warning of incoming rockets from Gaza, during cross-border hostilities, in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen — Israelis take cover as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets from Gaza, during cross-border hostilities in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

A Palestinian woman inspects the totally destroyed Haznedar apartment after Israeli army carried out airstrikes after Er-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza on May 5, 2019. (Photo by Mustafa Hassona — A Palestinian woman inspects a razed apartment after the Israeli army carried out air raids in the Er-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City. [Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu/Getty Images]

Israeli soldier walks past a car hit by a missile fired from Gaza near the Gaza and Israel border, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Palestinian militants on Saturday fired over 200 rockets into Israel, drawing do — An Israeli soldier walks past a car hit by a missile fired from Gaza near the Gaza and Israeli border. [Ariel Schalit/AP Photo]

Palestinians inspect a house after being hit by Israeli warplanes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 5, 2019. Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/NurPhoto(Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/NurPhoto via Getty — A Palestinian woman inspects her home after it was hit by Israeli air raids in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. [Abed Rahim Khatib/NurPhoto/Getty Images]

A man walks around a damaged house after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza over the border to its Israeli side in Ashkelon Israel May 5, 2019 REUTERS/ Amir Cohen — A man walks around a damaged home after it was hit by a rocket fired from Gaza to the Israeli town of Ashkelon. [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

Palestinians inspect the totally destroyed Haznedar apartment after Israeli army carried out airstrikes after Er-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza on May 5, 2019. (Photo by Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu — The government media office in Gaza said Israeli warplanes carried out about 150 raids, in addition to artillery-shelling targeting 200 civilian landmarks in the Gaza Strip, including residential buildings, mosques, shops and media institutions. [Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu/Getty Images]