Israeli forces hit Hamas tunnels in Gaza as all-out war looms; more rockets rain down

Israel dramatically escalated its assault on the Gaza Strip early Friday with a combined air and artillery barrage aimed at destroying Hamas’s tunnel system, marking the addition of ground forces for the first time in the five-day battle and tipping the conflict closer to all-out war. The conflict, which shows no sign of abating, has so far resulted in the deaths of 119 people in Gaza and nine in Israel, with hundreds more injured.

The 40-minute midnight assault, which forced hundreds of civilians in northern Gaza to flee their homes,...