The Israeli army has said it had pounded Gaza with “significant” strikes on 450 targets over 24 hours since Sunday morning, and that troops were targeting Hamas commanders in underground tunnels, AFP reports.

Israeli infantry and tanks have flooded the northern half of the Gaza Strip and tightened an encirclement of Gaza City, effectively splitting the territory in two.

Israeli troops who have taken up positions near the Gaza border told AFP they felt proud to protect their country but also nervous as the war intensifies.Stationed near the Gaza Strip, a 20-year-old soldier said he was “a bit scared to go” into the Palestinian territory if given the order.

“You don’t know if you can come back alive,” said the soldier, whose name like those of other troops cannot be published because of Israeli military censorship.