Israel Preparing For Possible Ground Assault

JERUSALEM (AP) — Palestinians in Gaza spent the night in pitch darkness, surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas, with the support of a new war cabinet that includes a longtime opposition critic. The death toll on both sides climbed to at least 2,400 early Thursday. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters Thursday that forces are preparing for a ground assault but that the political leadership has not yet ordered one. A ground offensive in Gaza, the first since the 2014 war, would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.