Israeli military said its ground troops raided homes in Gaza

In a statement, the army said it entered Gaza to battle Hamas terrorists, destroy weapons and search for evidence about the missing hostages held by Hamas. It said troops completed the raid then left Gaza.

Israel has been massing troops along the Gaza border since last Saturday’s brutal attack staged by Hamas almost one week ago.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas as the army prepares for an expected ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

“This is just the beginning,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We will end this war stronger than ever.”

“We will destroy Hamas,” he added, saying Israel has widespread international support for the operation.