JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel launched
what could be a long-term offensive against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip
on Tuesday, the military said, striking at least 50 sites in Gaza by air
and sea and mobilizing troops for a possible ground invasion in order
to quell rocket attacks on Israel.
The
army said its offensive, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is aimed
at striking Hamas and ending the rocket fire that has intensified in
recent weeks amid tensions over the killing of three Israeli teenagers
and the apparent revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager.
