Ammon News - U.S. officials said Sunday that they expected Israel to launch a ground incursion into Gaza in the next 24 to 48 hours, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Washington Post reported that the vote for war by Israel’s cabinet could signal a wider operation — it allows the government to expand military mobilization and deploy a more lethal range of military options.

At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel which is a staggering toll on a scale the country has not experienced in decades, the Washington Post said, adding that the Israeli occupation military estimated 1,000 Hamas fighters took part in Saturday’s initial incursion. The high figure underscored the extent of planning by Hamas.

"The high death toll and slow response to the onslaught pointed to a major intelligence failure and undermined the long-held perception that Israel has eyes and ears everywhere in the small, densely populated territory it has controlled for decades, and the presence of hostages in Gaza complicates Israel’s response," the Washington Post stated.

U.S. Preliminary reports indicated at least four U.S. citizens were killed in the attacks, and seven more were missing, a U.S. official said.

“Dozens” of Israelis are being held hostage by Hamas militants in Gaza, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said during a news briefing early Monday local time.

The Israel Defense Forces “cannot deny” that Hamas militants may still be infiltrating the border and entering the occupied Palestinian territories, Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces said at a news conference.

“This is something different and unprecedented,” he said of the attack. “