Israel warns Hamas against further escalation of violence

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's military on Thursday warned Hamas against further escalation in violence, and Israeli media said officials were considering evacuating residents from areas near the Gaza border.

"The way things continue to play out is significant. Hamas will understand in the coming hours, as in the past months, that this is not the direction it wants to chose," a senior military official was quoted as saying on the military's Twitter account.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)