Israeli military fires artillery, tank shells into Gaza, sending families fleeing from homes

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas sent a heavy barrage of rockets deep into Israel as Israel pounded Gaza with more airstrikes and shells and called up 9,000 more reservists. Those extra troops could be used to stage a ground invasion. Palestinian witnesses say the artillery and tank shells that began falling in Gaza in the evening forced scores of families to flee their homes. The use of artillery fire in Israel’s four-day-old offensive raised the likelihood of civilian casualties. In another potential escalation, at least three rockets were fired from southern Lebanon toward Israel. The attack threatened to open a new front in the fighting.