The Israel Defense Forces on Friday warned civilians in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate the region as it seems it will intensify attacks on terrorist targets in the Gaza City region.

According to reports, the IDF is planning to launch a ground invasion in response to Hamas’s deadly onslaught against southern communities.

An IDF spokesperson told CNN the military is preparing to “strike Hamas and prevent them from ever being able to attack us again.”

The order came as morning broke on the seventh day of the Israel-Gaza war, with the military pressing its widespread air offensive and a total siege on the Strip, which according to international aid organizations has left it on the edge of a humanitarian disaster, reported The Times of Israel.

The Hamas group reportedly bombarded the southern city of Ashkelon with rockets earlier in the day.

The group claimed it launched over 150 rockets toward the city.

Though Iron Dome interceptors destroyed many of the incoming projectiles, several got through. One rocket slammed into a home and another smashed into cars on a street, reported The Times of Israel.

No casualty has been reported so far.

According to the IDF, Hamas militants are using underground tunnels in the city to hide.

Israel is believed to be preparing for a ground incursion on the Gaza Strip, according to media reports and analysis.

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Since this round of attacks between Hamas and Israel began on Saturday, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.

So far, more than 1,500 Palestinians and more than 1,300 Israelis have been killed, Xinhua reported.