Gaza: Israel broadens offensive as militants expand rocket range and intensity

(Vatican Radio) Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip with more than 180 airstrikes early Saturday, as the military widened its offensive against militants to include the prime minister's headquarters, a police compound and a vast network of smuggling tunnels.

The intensification in Israeli military activity came after an unprecedented rocket strike aimed at the city of Jerusalem.

Israel also continued to strike militants' weapons storage facilities and underground rocket launching sites. The Israeli military massed troops, tanks and armoured vehicles along the border with Gaza. The Israeli government authorized the call-up thousands of reservists.

Militants in Gaza have launched some 500 rockets against Israel, including new, longer-range weapons turned for the first time this week against Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Listen to this report from Mark Weiss in Jerusalem: