On Wednesday, Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal offered a ceasefire based on four conditions: an end to the Israeli offensive, a return to the November 2012 ceasefire terms which included an easing of the Gaza seige, the release of prisoners initially freed under a prisoner swap but recently re-arrested in Israeli raids, and Israeli respect for the Palestinian unity government. Israeli officials have rejected Meshaal’s terms and vowed to continue the attack. Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz suggested a looming ground invasion, saying Israel “will have to take over Gaza temporarily, for a few weeks.” Speaking in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for rocket attacks on Israel and for the civilian deaths resulting from Israeli strikes.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Today we expanded our operations against Hamas and the other terrorist groups in Gaza. We’ll continue to protect our civilians against Hamas attacks on them. Now, Hamas, by contrast, is deliberately putting Palestinian civilians into harm’s way. It embeds its terrorists in hospitals and schools and mosques, apartment buildings throughout the Gaza Strip. Hamas is thus committing a double war crime: It targets Israeli civilians, while hiding behind Palestinian civilians.”