Israeli warplanes and ships continue to escalate their airstrikes against the Gaza Strip today, even as the military continues to build up ground forces for a potential invasion of the tiny enclave.

At least 400 targets were hit in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, and 49 have been confirmed killed, with over 450 others wounded. The split between civilians and Hamas fighters was not immediately apparent, but victims as young as eight were reported killed.

Most of Hamas' leadership is reportedly already underground, anticipating attempts to assassinate them with airstrikes, and many Hamas buildings are virtually evacuated.

Tuesday was the single deadliest day of Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since November 2012, when Israel's "Operation Pillar of Defense" killed 133 Palestinians, mostly civilians, in the course of a week of escalating strikes.