In These New Times

Telegraph

5th January, 2009

Troops poured into the area as the battle against the Islamic movement intensified with gunbattles at close quarters.

Israel continued to defy international calls for a ceasefire with ground forces moving to seize fresh positions within city limits.

Explosions were heard in factory districts in the east of the city and refugee camps witnessed heavy fighting throughout the day.

The army said it had hit 40 targets in the Gaza Strip including several tunnels and the homes of a number of Hamas officials.

There were also reports that troops had also pounded mosques they claimed were being used as weapons’ stores. Six soldiers were wounded in the fighting.

Army officials claimed “dozens” of Hamas fighters had been killed or rounded up with Defence Minister Ehud Barak saying that while Hamas had been severely degraded, it had not been critically damaged and the offensive would go on.

He said: “Hamas has so far sustained a very heavy blow from us, but we have yet to achieve our objective and therefore the operation continues.”

Israel dismissed calls for a ceasefire from the EU, President Nicolas Sarkozy and other world leaders, claiming it had not yet achieved its objectives.

President George W Bush reiterated his support for the operation and blamed Hamas for prolonging the conflict.

“Instead of caring about the people of Gaza, Hamas decided to use Gaza to use rockets to kill innocent Israelis,” he said. “Israel’s obviously decided to protect itself.

“Any ceasefire must have the conditions in it so that Hamas does not use Gaza as a place from which to launch rockets.”

There was growing international anger over conditions in Gaza where aid organisation warned that people were running out of food and critical infrastructure, including hospitals, was close to collapse.

The Red Cross said people were dying as military operations prevented ambulance operations.

Palestinian officials said the death toll in Gaza rose to at least 541 people over the 10-day offensive.

The health ministry said 90 people, mostly civilians and including 26 children, had been killed since Israeli forces went in last Saturday.

Recent victims were said to include 13 members of a Palestinian family in an Israeli strike on their home in the Beach refugee camp.

Antonio Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, called on Israel to open Gaza’s borders. “Those who are compelled to flee the Gaza Strip should be able to do so and to find safety and security in other countries according to international law,” he said. “I thus urge that all borders and access routes concerned should be kept open and safe, and Palestinians endeavouring to leave Gaza should not be prevented from doing so.”

Despite the Israeli onslaught, Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel. Figures that were updated through out the day climbed above 30 at dusk. Four Israelis have been killed by salvoes fired into Israel since the offensive began. One Israeli soldier has also died.

A Hamas delegation travelled to Egypt to discuss ceasefire terms but its leaders vowed to continue the rocket attacks and said it would resist the Israeli assault “in every street, every alley and at every house.”

“We have prepared thousands of brave fighters who are waiting for you in each corner of the street and will welcome you with fire and iron,” Abu Obeida, the spokesman for the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades. “We tell you in all confidence that your defeat in the Gaza Strip is approaching with every hour.”

Doctors in Gaza said it was difficult to cope with the influx of injured civilians.”

Dr Khamis al-Essi, an emergency doctor at Gaza’s biggest hospital, al-Shifa, said they were struggling to cope with the huge numbers of casualties.

He said they had received “all sorts of casualties, from shattered bodies, beheaded individuals and patients with superficial cuts and lacerations”.

“Most of the injuries affected civilians, especially women and children,” he said.