The presence of Israeli hostages held at gunpoint in at least two locations close to the Gaza-Israel border presents Israel with a delicate dilemma where there are no easy options.

A rescue operation by Special Forces is an obvious choice and the IDF – Israel Defence Forces – have said they are already deployed in more than one location.

The risk here is that the captors kill the captives before the rescuers can reach them.

Negotiation is the other option but it’s hard to see this happening in such a febrile atmosphere where the death toll on both sides is still mounting by the hour.

It’s also worth noting that when the Israeli serviceman Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Palestinian militants in a cross-border raid in 2006 it took five years of tortuous negotiations.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN has said Hamas “holds the sole responsibility and will bear the results” of the ongoing fighting.

“The state of Israel will act in any way necessary to protect its citizens and sovereignty from the ongoing terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza Strip and carried out by Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan wrote to the 15-member UN Security Council in a letter.

Hamas says fired 150 rockets at Tel Aviv

The latest barrage of rockets came at 8pm local (17:00 GMT). The military wing of Hamas has said the rockets are a response to Israel’s attack on a high-rise building in the heart of Gaza City.

A spokesperson for Israel’s national emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said it was searching areas with reports of injuries, including in Yavne, Givatayim, Bat Yam, Beit Dagan, Tel Aviv and Rishon Letzion.

Videos on social media showed a barrage of rockets over Tel Aviv. It was not immediately clear how many had been intercepted.

Netanyahu invites opposition to form emergency government

Israel’s PM Netanyahu has invited opposition leaders – Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz – to form an emergency national government, according to a statement from his party Likud.

Earlier, Lapid told Israeli media that he is willing to form an emergency government with Netanyahu.

A short while ago, I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I told him that in this emergency situation I’m willing to form an emergency, narrow, professional government with him. Netanyahu knows that with the current extreme and dysfunctional security cabinet, he can’t manage a war.

Yair LapidLeader of Israeli opposition and Yesh Atid party

Public broadcaster Kan says Lapid and Gantz are meeting now to discuss the conditions for them entering government.

Palestinian militants have taken dozens of Israelis captive, both military and civilian, in an unprecedented development.

Some are thought to be being held in some of the small towns near the Gaza Strip, while others have been taken back into Gaza.

Video has emerged showing the moment a man, believed to be an Israeli hostage, is pushed into a car, which is then driven away.

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