Israel has widened its range of Gaza bombing targets to civilian institutions with suspected Hamas ties and announced it would hit northern Gaza "with great force" to prevent rocket attacks from there on Israel.

Israel has widened its air assault against the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers, hitting a mosque it said was hiding rockets, as Palestinians said the death toll from the five-day offensive had risen above 125.

Israel accused Iran of lying on Friday, while Tehran challenged the international community to send inspectors for a probe of its arch-rival’s nuclear capabilities, in an unusually bitter and rare direct confrontation.