Israeli military says it has carried out small raids into Gaza Strip

The UN warned that so many people fleeing en masse — almost half the Gaza population — would be calamitous, and it urged Israel to reverse the order

Palestinian demonstrators clash with Israeli forces following a demonstration in support of the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday, underscoring the risk of a wider regional conflict as Israel prepares for a possible ground invasion (Nasser Nasser/AP/PA)

The Israeli military has said for the first time that ground troops have been operating inside the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Friday, the army said troops had entered Gaza to battle militants, destroy weapons and search for evidence about the missing hostages held by Hamas.