'UNPRECEDENTED' BOMBARDMENT

Israeli ground forces 'expanding activity' as full-scale invasion looms

- Hanna Geissler and Allister Hagger

ISRAEL'S jets stepped up ferocious air strikes on Gaza last night as ground troops intensified their operations.

The onslaught came as exposed civilians were told to immediately south, move the increasing expectation that an all-out invasion was hours away.

Besieged

As explosions lit up the night witnesses described the bombardment as "unprecedented".

With internet and electricity lost, it meant 2.3 million people in the besieged enclave were largely cut off from the outside world and each other.

Tank fire and "unusual, intense and sustained" military activity was also heard for hours, said CNN. Israeli vessels were reportedly shelling the Northern Gaza Strip.

According to one report the Israelis unleashed "bunker buster" concussion missiles to target the Hamas tunnel network.

But it was not certain whether a full invasion had begun or whether it was a similar probe to those launched on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with the troops returning by dawn.

Former Nato Allied Commander General Wesley Clark told CNN he believed the operation was a preparatory softening-up operation.

But top Israeli political adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, Mark Regev, told Fox: "We are beefing up the pressure on Hamas. Our military operations are under way.

"They will continue to be on the receiving end of our military blows until we have dismantled their military machine and dissolve their political structure in Gaza. When this is over, Gaza will be very different."

The Red Crescent said yesterday it lost all contact with its operations room and medical teams. It said it feared people would no longer be able to contact ambulance services.