Fighting has escalated drastically between the Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip and Israel on Friday, as a rocket landed near Jerusalem for the first time and two rockets were launched at Tel Aviv in 24 hours, which led to Israeli cabinet's approval for the draft of 75,000 reserve soldiers.

Earlier in the day, at least one rocket fired from Gaza exploded at the Jerusalem area, Israeli media reported, no injuries or damages were reported.

It is the first time that rockets launched from Gaza came so close to Jerusalem since Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Palestinian armed groups in the coastal enclave.

More than 550 rockets have exploded in Israel over the past three days, leaving three dead and dozens wounded. One of those projectiles landed in an open area in Tel Aviv on Friday morning, but did not explode, the Israeli army said. On Thursday, two long- range rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv, setting off sirens in the city for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War.

In Jerusalem, residents were seen running out of homes for bomb shelters on Friday evening. In Israel's south, close to a million people are in lockdown. Schools are closed and commerce is suspended as the rockets hit.

The Israeli cabinet on Friday authorized the draft of 75,000 reserve soldiers, according to local media. The unusual draft signals a possible expansion of the operation into a full-blown ground invasion, which military sources suspect to occur within the next few days.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army commander on Friday night declared areas in immediate proximity to the Gaza Strip a "closed military zone," according to a military statement.

In response to the bold rocket attacks, Israel also launched a series of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, killing ten more people on Friday.

Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesman of the Hamas-run health ministry said the death toll of the Palestinian side over the three-say tit- for-tat violence has climbed to 29, including 12 civilians and more than 270 others were wounded, most of them are civilians.

All over the Gaza Strip on Friday, stores and shops were all closed, and students were refrained from going to classes. Bakeries and grocery stores were exceptionally opened, people were seen standing in long lines outside the bakeries.

The recent conflict between Israel and Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip broke out after Israeli war jets assassinated on Wednesday Hamas armed wing General Command Ahmed al-Jaa'bari and his bodyguard in a targeted airstrike.

Since then, Hamas armed wing al-Qassam Brigades and other minor militant groups fired barrages of rockets into Israel, which killed, according to Israeli Radio, four Israelis and wounded more than 10 others.

For his part, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday said that the ongoing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip is a " massacre" and aims at obstructing the Palestinian bid to the United Nations for recognition.

"We insist to go to the UN recognition whatever the circumstances are," Abbas told the Palestinian leadership that convenes in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"Israel has plans to undermine the national Palestinian project, " Abbas said, adding "all what Israel does is to obstruct the Palestinian bid to the UN, but despite all these plans, we will go to the UN on Nov. 29."

The escalating violence touched off a series of protests in Arab countries against the Israeli aggression and draw deep concerns from international community.

Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil arrived in Gaza Friday morning, and paid a visit to the Hamas cabinet headquarters, saying his country will spare no efforts to end the Israeli " aggression" on the Gaza Strip and to restore a continuous ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant groups.

"Egypt will pay everything to stop the aggression and achieve a lasting ceasefire," Qandil said.

Also, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to visit Middle East region soon, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Friday.

"The secretary-general is extremely concerned about the continued violence in Gaza and Israel, and deeply worried by the rising cost in terms of civilian lives," said Nesirky.

"The secretary-general has continued to speak with international and regional leaders and officials by telephone and in person as part of his efforts to call for restraint and push for an end to violence. As part of those efforts, he plans to visit the region shortly," said the spokesman, declining to provide further details of Ban's visit.