Israel's cabinet instructs army to continue attacks in Gaza "as necessary"

Israel's security cabinet adjourned on Tuesday after a seven-hour meeting, instructing the army to continue the air attacks in Gaza "as necessary."

A statement released by the Prime Minister's Office said the cabinet discussed the recent bloody escalation and "heard reports from the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and security sources about the attacks and the large-scale actions against the terrorist elements in Gaza."

Despite calls from right-wing Israeli leaders to launch a fully-fledged military campaign against Gaza, the cabinet apparently did not approve such a move. Instead, the cabinet said it had "instructed the IDF to continue its operations as necessary," the statement read, without elaborating.

Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement that if Israel halts its aggression, it will be possible to suspend the rocket fire.

The Prime Minister's Office also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked over the phone with French President Emmanuel Macron and told him that Israel is "exercising its right to defend itself against terror elements."

Since Sunday night, unprecedented barrages of some 400 Gaza rockets have hit southern Israel, killing a Palestinian man in the city of Ashkelon and wounding at least 85 others, most of whom sustained light injuries.

In Gaza, the Israeli Air Force carried out more than 150 airstrikes, bombing Hamas' al-Aqsa TV and Hamas' headquarters in Gaza, as well as dozens of other sites including tunnels and military positions.

An Egyptian delegation was expected to arrive in Israel later on Tuesday in an effort to broker a ceasefire, local media reported.

Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special envoy to the Middle East who participates in the efforts to restore calm, said the UN is working closely with Egypt in an effort to "ensure that Gaza steps back from the brink."

The recent escalation is "extremely dangerous and reckless. Rockets must stop, restraint must be shown by all. No effort must be spared to reverse the spiral of violence," he wrote on his Twitter account.

The abrupt violence was sparked by a failed Israeli undercover raid in Gaza on Sunday night. The undercover troops were exposed by Hamas militants, prompting a fire exchange that cost the lives of seven Palestinian militants and an Israeli military officer.