JERUSALEM (AP) Palestinians in Gaza lined up outside bakeries on Thursday after spending the night in pitch darkness surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods , as Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion.

International aid groups warned that deaths in Gaza could accelerate as Israel prevents delivery of supplies. The war, which was ignited by a bloody and wide-ranging Hamas attack into Israel, has already claimed at least 2,400 lives on both sides.

Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman, told reporters Thursday that forces are preparing for a ground maneuver if decided, but that the political leadership has not yet ordered one. A ground offensive in Gaza, the first since the 2014 war, would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.

In Gaza, Palestinians fleeing airstrikes can be seen running through the streets, carrying their belongings and looking for a safe place. Hundreds of thousands have crowded into U.N.-run schools while others are staying with relatives or even strangers who let them in.

Lines form outside bakeries and grocery stores during the few hours they dare to open, and the bakeries could soon shut down for lack of fuel or power.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to crush and destroy Hamas with the support of a new war cabinet formed Wednesday that includes a longtime opposition critic. Every Hamas member is a dead man, Netanyahu said in a televised address.