Israel's Reply Will Change The Middle East, PM Netanyahu: What Hamas Will Experience Is Difficult And Terrible

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas of a reply prepared by his country, as the death toll since the weekend attack broke through 1,200 people.

PM Netanyahu said Israel's response to the attack carried out last Saturday by Hamas in Gaza would change the Middle East.

"What Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible," he said, quoted by CNBC.

At least 1,260 people have been killed in the latest conflict between the two countries, with details of 700 Israelis and 560 Palestinians, according to recent data.

"This is just the beginning. We are all with you and we will beat them with strength, enormous power," Prime Minister Netanyahu said, citing AFP's Times Of India.

Since Saturday's surprise attack, Israeli aircraft have hit targets in Gaza, while their ground forces are struggling to regain control of the villages and border towns controlled by Palestinian gunmen.

Israel's chief military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Badhi said Israel had deployed 300,000 reserve troops in response to the Hamas attack last weekend.

Badminton said 300,000 reserve troops had been called up by the military since Saturday, suggesting preparations for a possible invasion of Gaza, although the plan has not been officially confirmed.

"We've never compiled so many reserves on a scale like this," he said.

"We will carry out attacks," he said.