The Israeli army says a rocket fired by Gaza militants has struck the outskirts of Tel Aviv – the furthest strike into Israel in two days of fighting.
The missile fell in an open area near the city of Rishon Lezion and caused no damage or injuries.
Air raid sirens later sounded in Tel Aviv and witnesses said they heard an explosion.
With claims that Palestinian militants fired nearly 150 rockets on Thursday, killing three people, defence officials said Israel was prepared to launch a ground invasion into Gaza if necessary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army was prepared for a “significant widening” of its Gaza offensive.
Three people were killed in the Israeli town of Kiryat Malahi when a rocket hit an apartment block. The casualties were the first since Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday which killed Hamas’ top military commander Ahmed al Jaabari.
The White House said the US strongly condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel. Spokesman Jay Carney said there is “no justification” for the violence perpetrated by Hamas and other terrorist organisations. And he called on those responsible to immediately stop the “cowardly acts”.
Britain’s Foreign Secretary William Hague said Hamas bears the “principal responsibility” for the spiralling violence.
Mr Hague said Hamas should stop attacking southern Israel immediately and called on Israel to do its utmost to reduce tension and avoid civilian casualties.
“It is imperative to avoid a spiral of violence. The escalation of this conflict would be in no one’s interest, particularly at a time of instability in the region,” he said.
Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi has rejected what he called Israel’s aggression in Gaza, saying it threatened to destabilise the region. He has ordered his prime minister Hesham Kandil to lead a delegation to Gaza on Friday. Egypt’s Islamist administration, which has close ties with the Hamas movement, recalled its ambassador on Wednesday in protest at the Israeli action.
US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have both telephoned Mr Netanyahu ahead of an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the deteriorating situation.
According to the White House, Mr Obama reiterated US support for Israel’s right to self-defence against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip but urged Israel to avoid civilian casualties in the Palestinian territory.
They agreed that Hamas must stop the attacks, which have seen hundreds of rockets fired into Israel over the last five days, in order to allow tensions to ease.
Mr Ban told the Israeli PM of his expectation that “Israeli reactions are measured so as not to provoke a new cycle of bloodshed,” the UN said. He also expressed his concerns about “an alarming escalation of indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel”.
So far, at least 15 people, including Mr Jaabari, have been killed in more than 50 Israeli airstrikes – codenamed Operation Pillar Of Defence. Two young children were also among the dead. The Israeli military is ready, if necessary, to send ground troops into Gaza, according to its official Twitter account. It has also been authorised to call up army reserve units. In a televised address, Mr Netanyahu said: “If it becomes necessary, we are prepared to expand the operation.
“We will not tolerate a situation in which Israeli citizens are threatened by rocket fire.” Palestinian militants said the airstrikes had opened “the gates of hell” for the Jewish state.
