Israel orders troop reinforcements as hostilities ramp up

The Israeli army said in a statement that the chief of staff has called in troop reinforcements in the country's south as hostilities in Gaza press into a second day.

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has ordered the mobilisation of 5,000 reserve troops to expand the current campaign “and deepen home front defence".

Israel unleashed new airstrikes on Gaza early Tuesday, hitting the high-rise home of a Hamas field commander and two border tunnels dug by militants, as Hamas and other armed groups fired dozens of rockets toward Israel. The escalation in the conflict was sparked by weeks of tensions in contested Jerusalem, Economic Times reported.