Israel on Thursday night appeared to declare a start to an anticipated offensive on the occupied Gaza Strip as Hamas continued to bombard the Jewish state with rocket fire.
“IDF air and ground troops are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said in a brief message, signalling the most serious escalation since the 2014 war.
Footage appeared to show dozens of rockets raining down on the Palestinian enclave, however, the Israeli army later clarified that its troops had not entered the Gaza Strip as it had earlier stated, blaming an "internal communication" problem for the confusion.
Just after midnight, the army had sent a message to the media saying troops were in the Gaza Strip, and this was confirmed by an army spokesperson. But two hours later, the army published a clarification saying there were "no soldiers" in Gaza.
The attacks on Thursday night were nonetheless a significant escalation. In an apparent reference to the offensive, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, tweeted: “The last word was not said and this operation will continue as long as necessary.”
Israeli residents living within three miles of the border with Gaza had been told by the military to head to their shelters.
It came after Islamist group Hamas fired a long-range rocket towards Eilat, Israel's main tourist resort, on Thursday, which Israeli media reports said was the furthest distance a Hamas rocket had ever travelled.
It came as easyJet, Virgin and British Airways cancelled flights to and from Tel Aviv due to the escalating conflict that has so far claimed the lives of 103 Palestinians and seven Israelis.
Israeli's president on Thursday condemned mass riots by Jews and Arabs in Israeli cities, which he compared to a civil war.
Joe Biden, the US president, on Thursday night defended Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, saying there had "not been a significant overreaction".
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said it was time for a "definite relaunch" of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
In addition to the strike on Eilat, 130 miles from the Gaza Strip, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets towards Tel Aviv, prompting Ben Gurion Airport to cancel all arrivals.
The long-range missile landed in the Hevel Eilot region, next to Eilat, raising questions over whether the Jewish state needed to expand its air defence capacity there.
Before the present conflict, Israel had been trying to encourage British tourists to holiday on the beaches of Eilat and Tel Aviv.
Although Eilat had previously been targeted by rocket launches from the Sinai peninsula in Egypt, Israeli media reports confirmed that this was the greatest distance a rocket fired from Gaza had been known to travel.
On Thursday night, British Airways said: "Like other airlines, we have cancelled our flights to and from Tel Aviv. The safety and security of our colleagues and customers is always our top priority, and we continue to monitor the situation."
Airline staff said they would try to rearrange flights or offer refunds.
Israel prepares for war
Air strikes and artillery fire reigned down on Gaza on Thursday night after Israel began an offensive on the occupied strip following a day of heavy rocket fire from Hamas militants.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced in a message that its ground troops had entered, however, local media reports said the troops appeared to be on an incursion in northern Gaza, rather than a full-scale invasion.
Whichever was the case, it marked the most serious escalation since the 2014 Gaza war, which left 2,251 Palestinians dead and 73 Israelis.
Israeli residents along the Gaza border were ordered to retreat to shelters, while Gaza residents took cover in their homes.
Footage showed waves of mortar landing on the densely populated enclave just after midnight.
Israeli officials said Islamist group Hamas must be dealt a strong deterring blow before any ceasefire.
An armed branch of Hamas, meanwhile, warned last night that "any ground incursion in any part of the Gaza Strip will lead to an increase in the number of dead and prisoners from the enemy side,” as the group continued to launch rockets towards central Israel.
As Israel continued to bombard Hamas targets in Gaza on Thursday, the Palestinian death toll rose to 87, including 17 children, while in Israel seven people have died including a five-year-old boy.
"The IDF has already attacked hundreds of targets and we will soon pass 1,000. We are continuing to strike Hamas while defending our citizens," said Mr Netanyahu, as he inspected an Iron Dome missile defence system on Thursday.
"It will take time but with great decisiveness, both defensively and offensively, we will achieve our goal – to restore quiet to the State of Israel."
Separately, Reuven Rivlin, the Israeli president, strongly condemned rioting by both Arab and Jewish extremists nationwide which has led to at least 400 arrests, comparing the situation to a "civil war".
'We're watching a lynching'
One attack in Bat Yam that was broadcast live by Israeli TV crews showed a Jewish mob dragging a man, whom they believed to be Palestinian, out of his car before severely beating him.
“We’re watching a lynching in real time,” a TV reporter says off-camera in the footage.
In the northern city of Tamra, a Jewish man was attacked by an Arab mob who nearly torched his car while he was still inside. Israeli paramedics said he was also stabbed but has survived the ordeal.
Further attacks are spreading throughout the country, including Haifa and Acre in the north, as well as Lod, Jaffa, and Tiberias.
"Death to Arabs" was being chanted at several rallies overnight while in Jerusalem an Arab man was stabbed outside the famous Mahane Yehuda market on the western side of the city.
Mr Netanyahu was reportedly considered the deployment of troops in cities hit by the unrest, and vowed on Thursday to grant police new powers to detain suspected rioters without charge for an extended period.
"We have no bigger threat now than these pogroms, and we have no choice but to restore law and order via determined use of force," he said. "Nothing can justify an Arab mob assaulting Jews, and nothing can justify a Jewish mob assaulting Arabs."
Rioting intensifies
The rioting in Israel has become so serious that there are concerns it could end up eclipsing the conflict in Gaza.
An Israeli police chief on Wednesday compared the unrest in Lod in central Israel to Arab riots that preceded the Second Intifada, a mass Palestinian uprising.
On Thursday it also emerged that the United States has increased security at its embassy in Jerusalem, where a major police presence was on the streets including armed and mounted officers.
Throughout the day, air raid sirens sounded across Israel, including in Tel Aviv where Ben Gurion airport was closed and flights diverted.
One rocket, fired by Hamas from the Gaza strip, nearly landed in the holiday resort of Eilat, Israel's largest southern town.
