As Operation Cloud Pillar entered its second day, the IDF braced towards an escalation in the rocket fire on Israel, especially during the funeral of Hamas military chief Ahmed Al-Jabari on Thursday morning.

Since beginning the operation Wednesday, the IAF struck over 100 targets using precise intelligence information. According to top army officials, strikes were mounted around the clock. So far 10 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks, most of them militants.

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz continued on Thursday to orchestrate the operation from the army's headquarters in Tel Aviv. The army expected Gaza terror groups to step up their rocket-launching efforts,which are expected to peak around 11:30am Thursday, during Al-Jabari's funeral. Over 110 rockets were fired on Israel since the beginning of the operation, primarily towards Beersheba. Most were intercepted, while the rest exploded in open areas. Some caused damage and one caused the death of 3 people (two females among them) and injured several children.



* Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood condemned the assassination of Hamas military chief Ahmed Al-Jabari, and called on the authorities in Cairo to sever diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel.

The powerful group said in a statement that "the Egyptian government must be the first to (cut ties), and serve as an example to Arabs and Muslims who maintain relations with this entity."

The statement further called on the Palestinian Authority to immediately halt its defense cooperation with the IDF.

The Brotherhood urged Egyptians to take to the streets and protest in front of major mosques in Cairo and other cities after Friday prayers, with a central rally taking place in front of the Al-Azhar Mosque in the capital.

The demonstrations are meant to show that Egyptians denounce the Israeli strikes on Gaza.

"We urge the entire nation to join the Muslim Brotherhood in showing our rage over the Zionist entity's attacks and our support for the Palestinian resistance at rallies that will take place after Friday prayers," Muhammad Badie, the movement's supreme guide, said on Facebook.



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Photos: IAF strikes in Gaza (1-2), Residents in Israel taking cover during Grad attacks (3-4), Residents in Be'er Sheva in front a local train station on their way out of the attacked city, yesterday evening (5)