Tanks swarm Gaza as Israel pushes forward

Kuala Lumpur News.Net
Sunday 11th January, 2009

Tanks and warplanes went into Gaza City before dawn on Sunday, escalatating the damage to Hamas targets and the civilian population.

The toll in the 16-day-old conflict has now passed 850.

Hamas has become even more defiant following Egyptian-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.

Hamas has vowed it will not negotiate while the fighting continues, while Israel has warned it will escalate the campaign which it says is aimed at halting rocket fire into its cities in the south.

Just before dawn, tanks entered the Al Sheikh Ajlin neighbourhood of Gaza City, shelling it and another area closer to the city centre.

There was also intense shelling of the city's Zeitun neighbourhood and Sudaniyah, which is on the Mediterranean Sea.

Israel’s push was impeded slightly by roadside bombs, which had been placed by militants to impede the army’s progress.

In remarks broadcast on Arabic satellite television, Hamas chief, Khaled Meshaal, claimed Israel was making no headway and rockets were still being fired into the country.

He said Hamas would not accept any truce without the withdrawal of all Israeli forces and the lifting of a blockade which was imposed when the Islamists seized power from the legitimate government 18 months ago.

It has been estimated that since the Israeli offensive began on December 27th over 850 people have been killed, including 380 women and children.

Another 3,490 people have been wounded.

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