Fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants was ongoing Monday (Oct 9) in seven to eight locations around the Gaza Strip inside Israel, the army said.
"We're still fighting. There are between seven to eight open places around Gaza (where) we have still warriors fighting terrorists," military spokesman Richard Hecht told reporters, two days after the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise attack on Israel.
"We thought by yesterday we would have full control. I hope we will by the end of the day."
During the night, Israel carried out more than 500 air and artillery strikes targeting Hamas and another militant faction Islamic Jihad Islamic in the coastal enclave.
The death toll from the fighting has soared above 1,100.
Hamas killed 700 Israelis and abducted dozens more as they attacked Israeli towns on Saturday, the deadliest incursion into Israeli territory since Egypt and Syria's attacks in the Yom Kippur war 50 years ago.
In response, Israeli air strikes hit housing blocks, tunnels, a mosque and homes of Hamas officials in Gaza on Sunday, killing more than 400 people, including 20 children, in keeping with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow of "mighty vengeance".
Ziad al-Nakhala, chief of Islamic Jihad, had said on Sunday that his group was holding captive in the Gaza Strip more than 30 Israelis who were abducted since Hamas' attacks.
"The price the Gaza Strip will pay will be a very heavy one that will change reality for generations," said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in the town of Ofakim, which suffered casualties and had hostages taken.
The violence drove oil prices higher on Monday, with concerns about possible disruptions to supplies from Iran, helping to drive Brent crude up US$4.18, or 4.94 per cent, to US$88.76 a barrel by 0120GMT in Asian trade.
Iran is an ally of Hamas and while it congratulated Hamas on the attack, its mission to the United Nations said Tehran was not involved in the attacks.
This story was produced by AFP.
