Live blog: Gaza under attack

"The Israel Defense Forces ground operation in the Gaza Strip began after the inner cabinet met in secret on Thursday night in Tel Aviv. In a deceptive maneuver intended to give the impression that no significant expansion of the military operation would happen in the next 24 hours, Israeli officials told reporters the security cabinet would only be meeting on Friday morning," wrote Barak Ravid in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The Ministry of Health has reported treating injuries of people seemingly suffering from "poison gas" attacks:

Translation: "Dozens of peoples have arrived suffering from poisonous white gas asphyxiation, used by the occupation forces in the northern Gaza Strip and in the Shawka area in Rafah"

The Israeli military were criticised in past for their use of white phosphorous during Operation Cast Lead in 2009.

It is unconfirmed what, if anything, is being used now.

Photos posted on social media are alleged to show the attacks:

Israeli military have produced a video justifying their ground assault in Gaza.

They also claim that on Thursday they prevented 13 Hamas fighters entering Israel through a tunnel.

CNN's International correspondant Diana Magnay claims in a tweet - which was later deleted - to have been threatened by Israelis watching the bombing in Gaza.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned “the recent escalation in military operations in the Gaza Strip by Israel” in a Thursday evening statement, and urged “maximum restraint” regarding military operations, according to Daily Egypt News.

“Egypt stresses the legal responsibility of Israel as an occupying power to protect the lives of civilians and refrain from methods of collective punishment and the use of excessive and unjustified force,” read the ministry’s statement.

They also called for “all concerned parties” to immediately accept the Egyptian ceasefire initiative as the “only way to stop attacks”. It also called on the international community to accept the initiative “without delay or preconditions” to “prevent the continuation of the vicious circle of violence for which only the innocent Palestinian pay the price.”

Egypt also called on the international community to “shoulder its responsibilities” in confronting the “dangerous escalation."

The Israeli military (IDF) have posted on a blog their reasons for launching the ground offensive in Gaza:

"Following ten days of Hamas attacks against Israel by land, air, and sea – and after repeated rejections of offers to deescalate the situation – the Israel Defense Forces has started a new phase of Operation Protective Edge. A large IDF force of infantry, tanks, artillery, combat engineers, and field intelligence is entering the Gaza Strip.The force is supported by the Israel Air Force, Navy, and other Israeli security agencies.

"Their mission is to target Hamas’ tunnels that cross under the Israel-Gaza border and enable terrorists to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

"Such a goal requires intensive and precise operations inside Gaza. Hamas terrorists are operating underground, and that is where the IDF will meet them. The IDF intends to impair Hamas’ capability to attack Israel.

"Hamas fires rockets at Israelis around the clock – 1,500 since July 8. The IDF is operating in order to counter this threat.

"Earlier today, the IDF identified around 13 Palestinians who had infiltrated Israel through a tunnel dug from Gaza. The tunnel began in the southern Gaza Strip and its exit was near Kibbutz Sufa in Israel. The terrorists were heavily armed with RPGs and assault rifles and were prepared to carry out a massacre. The IDF foiled their attack, saving countless Israeli lives.

"The tunnel uncovered this morning was one of many such tunnels that the IDF has discovered in recent years. In 2013, for example, the IDF uncovered a tunnel from Gaza to Israel that was 18 meters (59 feet) underground and extended for 1.7 km (1 mi). The tunnel was built with 500 tons of concrete and cement.

"Hamas used a similar tunnel in 2006 in order to infiltrate Israel, kill two IDF soldiers, and kidnap Gilad Shalit. Hamas has repeatedly said that it wants to kidnap more Israelis in similar attacks.

"Hamas has invested millions of dollars and other resources in order to operate its thriving tunnel network. There is evidence that construction materials that Israel transferred to Gaza for civilian projects has been used by Hamas for its tunnels.

"Hamas has sworn itself to endless war against Israel. Its suicide bombers have targeted buses, schools, restaurants, malls, and more. Its rocket launching squads have fired more than thousands of rockets in the past decade, making life intolerable not only for Israeli communities near the Gaza border, but also in major cities including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheba, Ashdod, and Ashkelon.

"The Israel Defense Forces will operate wherever necessary in order to protect the people of Israel."

Israeli troops are being reported to have killed two people including a three month year old baby in Rafah in south Gaza, as Al Jazeera and other outlets are reporting small numbers of troops involved in fighting in the north of the strip as the Israeli military begins its ground offensive.

Reports are coming in that troops are now in Gaza.

Some are also reporting that they are in combat with Hamas fighters.

Israeli tanks are reportedly shelling Gaza's Al-Wafa hospital the facility's director said Thursday.

"Israeli tanks are shelling the hospital, they have hit several of the floors, and several nurses have been injured

Jen Psaki, spokesperson for the US State Department, spoke in a press briefing on Thursday - given shortly before the beginning of the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza - of the need to prevent more civilian deaths.

“We continue to urge all parties to do all they can to protect civilians,” she told reporters “We have been heart-broken by the high civilian death toll in Gaza.”

She condemned the deaths of the four Gazan boys from what is believed to be Israeli naval rocket fire on Wednesday.

“The tragic event makes clear that Israel must take every possible step to meet its standards for protecting civilians from being killed," Psaki said.

Psaki also said: “I don't think we've made any secret about our concern, strong concern about the actions of Hamas, the indiscriminate rocket attacks, the targeting of civilians - and that concern remains.”