CRI听力:More Worries with Israel-Gaza Escalation

The Israeli military's Operation Protective Edge is heading into its 4th day later on this Friday, with the death toll among Palestinians on the rise.

The Israeli military has hit over 780 Hamas targets over the past three days.

The Palestinian death toll has exceeded 80, with some 700 others injured.

The offensive is generating growing concern among people on both sides of the border.

CRI's Qizhi has more.

The situation in Gaza is being described as horrible.

Adnan Abu Hanse is with the UN's Relief and Works Agency in Gaza.

"It's actually very horrible here in the Gaza Strip. You can find the Israeli airstrikes bombing and chilling every minute. Now over the Gaza Strip so many people are being killed. There are fears of a ground operation. Actually no one knows what will happen after one hour. You cannot predict that."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday said all his efforts to end the violence have failed.

Abbas also says he believes Israel is preparing to launch a ground operation in Gaza, and has called for an unconditional cease-fire.

Meanwhile, dozens of rockets from Gaza have fired at cities across Israel on Thursday, forcing people to rush to shelters.

In the evening, sirens also wailed in Jerusalem, with four rockets fired at the area.

Sderot is located less than a mile from Gaza. Rockets fired from Gaza can reach the city within 15 seconds.
Since the start of Operation Protective Edge, the locals have been exposed to more and more rocket fire.

"The rockets are fired during the day and during the night. It ruins your life. When it becomes a routine, it gives you lots of trauma and stress. If you walk around the city, you'll see everyone is in their homes. Most businesses and restaurants are closed. No one has a routine anymore."

Uzi Dayan, the former head of Israel's National Security Council, says a ground operation in Gaza is necessary.

"If we control some of the areas there, that helps us to dismantle tunnels, to put more pressure on the Hamas. And once you are there, you have some cards to negotiate how to end this operation. What we have to do is to try to do it as quickly as possible and at the same time with a less number of casualties as we can."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel will continue and expand Operation Protective Edge.

However, he gave no indication of whether Israeli military is going to send ground troops into Gaza.

For CRI, I'm Qizhi.