JERUSALEM, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Israel’s military said it deployed troops against a suspected infiltration from Lebanon on Monday, which a local radio station said appeared to have taken place in the central part of the countries’ border.

Tensions in Israel’s north have surged as it battles Palestinian Hamas gunmen who staged a mass-infiltration from the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday.

“A report was received regarding the infiltration of a number of suspects into Israeli territory from Lebanese territory. IDF soldiers are deployed in the area,” the military said in a statement.

Israel’s Army Radio gave the location as near Adamit, across from the Lebanese border towns of Aalma El Chaeb and Zahajra.

Israel has drafted a record 300,000 reservists in its response to a multi-front Hamas attack from Gaza and is “going on the offensive,” the chief military spokesperson said on Monday.

Since Saturday’s surprise assault, Israeli aircraft have been pounding Gaza targets while its ground forces have battled to retake control of border villages and towns overrun by Palestinian gunmen.

Chief military spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari said control of those communities had been re-established but that isolated clashes continued as some gunmen remained active.

“We are now carrying out searches in all of the communities and clearing the area,” he said in a televised briefing.

Military officials had previously said that their focus was on securing Israel’s side of the border before carrying out any major escalation of the counter-offensive in Gaza.

Hagari said 300,000 reservists have been called up by the military since Saturday, a number suggesting preparations for a possible invasion – though any such plans have not been officially confirmed.

“We have never drafted so many reservists on such a scale,” he said. “We are going on the offensive.”

Hagari confirmed media reports that 700 people had been killed on Israel’s side of the border, including 73 confirmed members of the security forces. He said Israel’s military had killed hundreds of Palestinian gunmen.

Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said that Israel is imposing a “full siege” on Gaza.

“There is no electricity, there is no food, there is no water, there is no fuel,” he said.

Israel’s El Al lays on more flights to take reservists back to fight

Israel’s El Al will launch more flights to take reservists back to Israel, a spokesman for the airline said on Monday, as Israeli troops battled to clear out Hamas gunmen who killed hundreds of Israelis in a surprise weekend attack.

She added that no flights had been cancelled and that many of the airline’s planes to and from Israel were full.