Israel vows to destroy Hamas tunnels, deaths spike

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday to destroy Hamas’ tunnel network designed for deadly attacks inside Israel “with or without a cease-fire,” as the Palestinian death toll soared past 1,400 — surpassing the number killed in Israel’s last major invasion of Gaza five years ago.

Netanyahu’s warning came as international efforts to end the 24-day-old war seemed to sputter despite concern over the mounting deaths. The Israeli military said it was calling up an additional 16,000 reserve soldiers to pursue its campaign against the Islamic militants.