The death toll from the war with Hamas reaches 1,100, Israeli troops are trying to regain control of the desert around the Gaza Strip and evacuate residents from the besieged border area.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel on Sunday to brace itself for a "long and difficult" conflict, a day after Hamas launched a surprise assault from Gaza over the weekend, firing a barrage of rockets and sending a wave of fighters who gunned down civilians and kidnapped at least 100 hostages.

PHOTO | COURTESY Shelling aftermath 

According to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), more than 700 Israelis have been murdered since Hamas launched its massive offensive. Another 1,200 individuals have been injured, many of them critically.

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In reaction, Israeli air attacks hit an estimated 800 sites in the impoverished and blockaded Gaza Strip, a 2.3 million-person enclave, killing at least 413 Palestinians, according to officials there.

IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said roughly 1,000 Palestinian terrorists took part in Hamas's attack on Saturday, which he described as "by far the worst day in Israeli history."

PHOTO | COURTESY buildings on fire

He said that around 100,000 reserve troops have been dispatched to the south as the IDF fights to evict Hamas members from Israeli land, adding that a "very large amount" of Israeli forces have been deployed.

US Vice President Joe Biden directed "additional support for Israel in the face of Hamas' unprecedented terrorist assault."

At least four US people were murdered in the incident, according to US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who added that the death toll was sure to grow.

PHOTO | COURTESY death toll in recent Isrel-Hamas conflict reaches 1000

According to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Washington "will be rapidly providing additional equipment and resources, including munitions, to the Israel Defence Forces."

Austin directed the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and a group of warships to the eastern Mediterranean. He stated that Washington was beefing up fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.