There is extensive coverage of day two of Operation Protective Edge in this morning’s dailies. The Telegraph and Times both highlight that rockets from Gaza yesterday targeted the Dimona plant where Israel’s nuclear capability is thought to be based and reached as far north as Haifa, around 100 miles from Gaza. Both speculate that these developments and the continuation of rocket fire on southern and central Israel have increased the chances of an Israeli ground operation in Gaza. The Financial Times, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Evening Standard, Metro and Independent i all headline growing casualties in Gaza as Israel increased the intensity of its air strikes.

The Telegraph includes analysis from BICOM Senior Visiting Fellow Mike Herzog, who cautions that hitting Hamas too hard could create a dangerous power vacuum in Gaza which could be filled with unpredictable Jihadist groups. Also in the Telegraph, there is a feature on life in under the shadow of rockets in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, plus a separate feature on the family of Islamic Jihad leader Hafez Hamad, several of whom were killed in Gaza by an Israeli air strike.

The Independent and Guardian also include a focus on the Hamad family. However, both note that Israel has employed a dual warning system ahead of strikes on specific Gaza targets. It consists of a “knock on the roof,” firing of light empty munitions on the targeted structure, often followed by a phone call to its residents warning them to leave the building.

The Times includes a focus on the rocket arsenal at Hamas’ disposal and the ranges it can reach. Also in the Times, Roger Boyes says that Hamas is making a desperate attempt to gain sympathy in the Arab world and to regain the material support of sponsors.

The Guardian includes a feature on Jerusalem, which has been targeted by rockets for the first time since 2012, including views of Jewish and Arab residents on the unrest. There is a separate item on Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system which has been widely deployed with success since the commencement of hostilities. Also in the Guardian, Peter Beaumont says that Hamas is aiming to reach the point of a ceasefire where it can be seen to make political gain and also to potentially spark a third Intifada. The Guardian also includes an op-ed by Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Barghouti, who calls on the international community to restrain Israel’s “attack on all civilians.”

In other regional news, the Times says that Sunni Jihadist group ISIS has carried out a massacre of Shi’ites in Kirkuk in Iraq. Meanwhile, the Telegraph online says that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made an “incendiary speech” accusing Iraqi Kurds of supporting ISIS. The same publication reports that a document has been discovered revealing the organisational structure of ISIS.

In the Israeli media, there is wall to wall coverage of Operation Protective Edge. Israel Hayom says that the IDF is “ramping up the pressure” on Hamas, while Haaretz and Maariv highlight that Hamas is expanding its range of fire. Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronot leads with the success of the Iron Dome anti-missile system so far, also highlighted by Haaretz which says it has recorded a 90 per cent success rate of interceptions during the operation so far. Israel Radio news reports that the IDF spokesman has said that Israelis should be ready for an operation which will continue for a long time.

In commentary surrounding the violence, Alex Fishman writes in Yediot Ahronot, that any ground operation launched by Israel will have “modest and achievable” goals with the destruction of Hamas not a realistic aim. He notes that Israel “does not have much intelligence or knowledge of what is going on in the Gaza Strip, especially below ground.” Meanwhile, in Israel Hayom, Yoav Limor says that “The attack on Hamas is harsher than is reflected in the media.” However, Israel’s leaders “do not intend to get into a dangerous and bleeding adventure in the Gaza Strip.”