Updated on Sunday, December 28, 2008, 00:00 IST

Jerusalem, Dec 28: Israel will call 6,500 of its reserve soldiers to duty, signalling a widening of the military offensive against Hamas in the coastal Gaza Strip, where over 280 Palestinians have been killed in the last two days in the largest operation since 1967.

"The Israel Defense Forces will, in the coming days, call up more reservists," Cabinet secretary Oved Yehezkel told reporters after ministers met for a special sessiontoday to discuss "Operation Cast Lead" that was launched yesterday.

The proposal to mobilise 6,500 reservists initiated by Defence Minister Ehud Barak was approved by the Cabinet today.

Security sources said that some reservists have already been mobilised to help protect Israeli communes on the Gaza border from Palestinian rocket and mortar shell attacks.

Meanwhile, hundreds of IDF infantry and armoured corps troops headed for the Gaza border early today in preparation for a possible ground invasion as Barak vowed to "expand and deepen" the attacks on the Hamas-ruled territory.

"The Israeli Defence Forces will expand and deepen its operations in Gaza as much as necessary," Defence Minister Barak told reporters before the cabinet meeting.

Asked yesterday if Israel would follow up the air strikes with a ground offensive, the Defence Minister had said, "If boots on the ground will be needed, they will be there."

"Our intention is to totally change the rules of the game," Barak said.

Israeli fighter planes continued to pound Gaza for a second day today in the large scale operation in the impoverished Palestinian enclave of 1.5 million people, leaving over 280 dead and close to 800 injured.

Bureau Report