Israeli tanks pound Gaza; death toll risen to 119

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Israeli artillery pounded northern Gaza early Friday bringing the front lines closer to dense civilian areas and paving the way for a potential ground invasion.

The stepped-up fighting came as communal violence in Israel erupted for a fourth night, with Jewish and Arab mobs clashing in the flashpoint town of Lod. The fighting took place despite a bolstered police presence ordered by the nation’s leaders. Masses of red flames illuminated the skies as the deafening blasts from the outskirts of Gaza City jolted people awake.