It is day two of Israel’s offensive in the Hamas-dominated Gaza strip which Palestinian officials say has killed at least 27 people to date.

More than 130 sites were targeted by Israeli warplanes on Wednesday morning including Hamas command centres and rocket launchers.

Four rockets were fired overnight into Gaza a military spokesman confirmed.

An official in Gaza said the overnight strikes killed one militant in south Gaza and an Islamic Jihad operative and five relatives in northern Gaza. Israel is mobilising ground troops in the escalating conflict.

“The government has instructed the military to deploy forces along the border with Gaza to be ready for any contingency. We have a number of options. Our goal, our overriding goal is to safeguard the people of Israel and to end the launching of rockets from Gaza on our citizens,” explained Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli Prime Minister.

The Israeli military said at least two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday were shot down by its Iron Dome defence system. There are fears the military temperature could rise more.

“I have been in communication with many different parties during the last few days, regionally and internationally, and especially with the Palestinian factions and leaders from the Hamas movement, warning them that the Israeli government wants to take the situation into a violent circle, and all those I have spoken to reiterated that they are for the continuation of the truce against escalation,” Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President said in a television broadcast.

There has been reaction from the international community with President Barack Obama quoted in a German newspaper on Wednesday saying Israelis and Palestinians must be prepared to take risks for peace.