HAMAS EXTENDS ROCKETS' RANGE ; DOZEN OF GAZA STRIKES BY ISRAEL

JERUSALEM: As new volleys of rockets whizzed toward Israel's major cities on Wednesday and Israel pressed its intensive air bombardment of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel vowed to increase "the assault on Hamas and the terrorist organizations in Gaza."

But even as Israel's jets and drones battered targets all across the narrow Mediterranean enclave, the rising Palestinian death toll and increased international alarm suggested Israel would not have the leeway for a military operation on the scale of 2008's Cast Lead, which lasted three weeks and involved extensive infantry combat in Gaza.

The Israeli government was already facing condemnation and criticism from Jordan, the European Union and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority as the death toll across Gaza hit at least 53 since Saturday. No Israelis have been reported killed.

The United States' support for the Israeli operation also appeared conditional, Israeli analysts said, as Washington called for "restraint from both sides."

Israel and Hamas began this latest round of fighting after a spike in tensions fueled by the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers hitchhiking in the West Bank and what is suspected to be the revenge killing of a Palestinian teenager by Israelis.

On Wednesday, after Hamas fired nearly 100 rockets into Israel, Mr. Netanyahu met with senior military commanders near Gaza and vowed to press on. He said that with public support "the operation will be expanded and will continue until the firing at our communities stops and quiet is restored."