Islamist militant Hamas has threatened to execute all the Israeli captives if the country continues to bomb Palestinian civilian neighborhoods.
The violence, which has killed over 1,500 lives, has provoked international professions of sympathy for Israel in the aftermath of Hamas's horrific weekend attack and calls for a halt to the war and the protection of civilians.
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According to Israeli media, the death toll from the Hamas onslaught has risen to 900 Israelis, with at least 2,600 injured and many kidnapped. 260 Israelis, mostly teenagers, were killed during a desert music event where some captives were held.
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According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 687 Palestinians have been killed, and 3,726 have been injured in Israeli air raids on the blockaded enclave since Saturday.
Media accounts and eyewitnesses note that the strikes targeted apartment buildings, mosques, and hospitals and even destroyed some roads and houses.
Israel also targeted the offices of the private Palestinian Telecommunications Company, potentially disrupting landline, internet, and mobile phone services.
On Monday, the strikes lasted well into the night. The Israeli military said it attacked Gaza Strip targets from the sea and air, including a weapons facility belonging to Islamic Jihad and Hamas positions along the Gaza coastline.
Hamas spokesperson Abu Ubaida threatened to execute Israelis held captive after the surprise attack on Saturday morning. He stated that for every Israeli attack on a civilian residence without notice, Hamas would execute an Israeli detainee and publicize the execution.
The Israeli military made no immediate response to that threat. During the weekend's horrific cross-border raid, Hamas kidnapped more than 100 Israelis, according to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.
Palestinians claimed to get calls and audio messages from Israeli security officers ordering them to evacuate locations mostly in Gaza's northern and eastern sectors and warning that the army would be present.
