(VOVworld) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ordered the country’s military to begin a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli military’s statement, the operation includes infantry, armoured corps, engineer corps, artillery and intelligence backed by aerial and naval forces. Intense fighting occurred Thursday between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, after a 5-hour ceasefire proposed by the United Nations ended. The Israeli army said that Hamas has launched more than 1,000 rockets, targeting Tel Aviv and two southern cities of Beersheba and Ashkelon. But no causalities have been reported so far. Israel immediately retaliated by air strikes toward the Palestinian territory.