Israel has knocked out communications in the Gaza Strip with bombardment and artillery fire. Explosions from continuous airstrikes overnight Friday and into Saturday lit up the sky over Gaza City for hours. The Israeli military says it is expanding ground operations in the territory. On Friday, the U.N. General Assembly called for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza, while protesters in New York and Jakarta held demonstrations calling for an end to Israeli military action. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has passed 7,300, and in the occupied West Bank more than 100 Palestinians have been killed. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and 229 people were taken hostage during the incursion and remain in captivity in Gaza.