Gaza crisis: Hamas aims missile at Jerusalem for first time Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, spoke to military leaders last night to discuss a ground offensive inside Gaza against the radical Islamist group. They will find it hard to back down in the face of public demands for action. In further signs of preparation for a ground assault, Israeli armed forces yesterday sealed off major roads leading to the territory as tens of thousands of extra reservists were called up. The Palestinian militant group rejected calls to scale down its rocket attacks however, despite the threat of escalation. "We are sending a short and simple message," a spokesman, who called himself Abu Obeida, said. There is no security for any Zionist on any single inch of Palestine and we plan more surprises. Friday was marked by inflammatory strikes by both sides, despite a visit to Gaza by the Egyptian prime minister, Hisham Qandil, who is at the centre of such attempts as are being made to bring the violence to a halt. Both sides had promised to hold fire for the three hours of his visit, but exchanges continued. One six-year-old boy who had been killed was brought into a Gaza hospital even as Mr Qandil visited. Not long after he left the Gaza strip through the newly reopened Rafah crossing with Egypt, The Daily Telegraph witnessed Israeli missiles land close to the border.