Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Wednesday that Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza. “We have already killed thousands of terrorists and this is only the beginning,” Netanyahu said.

“Simultaneously, we are preparing for a ground invasion. I will not elaborate on when, how or how many. I will also not elaborate on the various calculations we are making, which the public is mostly unaware of and that is how things should be,” he added.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday stressed that the Palestinian militant group Hamas is not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group engaged in a battle to protect its land.

(With inputs from agencies)