Airstrikes in Gaza cause 145 deaths, 1,000 injuries

JERUSALEM, July 12 (UPI) —

The death toll in the fifth day of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip escalated to 145, Palestinian officials said Saturday.

That’s up from about 100 deaths Friday. So far no Israelis have died in the so-called Operation Protective Edge.

As of Saturday, 1,000 Palestinians were injured from airstrikes, which began Wednesday.

In one airstrike, two mosques were target because, the Israeli military said, it was concealing rockets.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops are preparing for a possible ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas officials confirmed that contacts were being made with Egypt and Qatar in an attempt to discuss a possible ceasefire with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said international pressure for a ceasefire wouldn’t deter the country’s campaign to stop Hamas attacks.

"I will end it when our goals are realized," he said, "and the overriding goal is to restore peace and quiet."

"We are weighing all possibilities and preparing for all possibilities," he said of the possibility of a ground attack.