The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Thursday instructed Palestinians living near the Gaza Strip border to evacuate their homes, local media reported.
More than 100,000 Palestinians residing in areas adjacent to the border received notification from the IDF in a recorded message over the phone that they must evacuate their houses as quickly as possible, the Ynet news website reported.
Those areas include Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and Abasan al-Kabera and Abasan al-Saghira in the southern part of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip enclave, the walla! news website reported.
Analysts say this move could be read as a possible preparation for an IDF ground operation in the strip or as part of Israel's psychological warfare on Hamas. The Israeli security cabinet convened at the military Tel Aviv's headquarters on Thursday evening to discuss Israel's future moves, an Israeli official told Xinhua.
Israel's security cabinet ordered to recruit 40,000 reserve soldiers on Tuesday amid Operation Protective Edge. The military boosted its forces along the Gaza border in the past two days, and the ground forces are standby, Ynet reported.
If a ground operation would take place, it would be for the first time since Israel's Operation Cast Lead in 2009. The 2012 Pillar of Defense Campaign included air strikes but no ground operation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers on Thursday that the operation would be limited, but at this point there are no negotiations over a cease fire agreement.
"I am not talking to anybody about a cease-fire right now," he said. "It's not even on the agenda," he added, the Ha'aretz daily reported.
Israel declared Operation Protective Edge on Tuesday with massive airstrikes on the Gaza Strip following 300 rockets launched towards southern Israel in the previous weeks.
The massive rockets campaign came as tensions rose with Israel conducting an operation in the West Bank in the Hebron area to search for three missing teens, kidnapped and killed by Palestinian militants last month, and their killers.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Israeli Air Force struck down about 800 targets in the Gaza Strip which killed 80 Palestinians, according to Palestinian medical sources. More than 500 people were injured in the attacks.
Netanyahu said Wednesday he instructed the military to expand its attacks against Hamas until the rocket fire ceases and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said that the operation will not end soon.