As the war's casualty toll surpassed 3,000 on Tuesday, the fourth day of intense fighting since the Islamists launched a surprise onslaught, Israel claimed to have reclaimed Gaza border regions from Hamas terrorists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel's military campaign in response to Saturday's assault was simply the beginning of a long fight to defeat Hamas and "change the Middle East." In anticipation of an imminent Israeli ground invasion into Gaza, the packed territory from which Hamas launched its land, air, and sea offensive on the Jewish Sabbath, worries of a regional conflagration have increased. In contrast to Gaza's official death toll of 765, Israel's death toll from the bloodiest strike in the nation's 75-year history has risen to 900.

Key Points

• As the war's casualty toll surpassed 3,000 on Tuesday, the fourth day of intense fighting since the Islamists launched a surprise onslaught, Israel claimed to have reclaimed Gaza border regions from Hamas terrorists.

• In contrast to Gaza's official death toll of 765, Israel's death toll from the bloodiest strike in the nation's 75-year history has risen to 900.