Israeli tanks and troops poured into the Gaza Strip Saturday night and by Sunday afternoon appeared to have pushed deep into the north of the territory, as the Jewish state launched a ground assault against the militant group Hamas.The land attack marks the dramatic escalation of an Israeli offensive that Palestinian hospital officials say has left as many as 470 Gazans dead and wounded over 2,200 since it began on Dec. 27.
Israel launched the offensive, one of the deadliest Israeli assaults on Palestinians ever, in response to intensified rocket attacks by Hamas against southern Israeli communities after a six month ceasefire expired in December.
By Sunday afternoon, Israeli forces appeared to have advanced significantly south of Gaza City, the enclave's largest city, situated in the north with a population of some half a million. Gaza has been sealed off to foreign journalists by the Israeli military. But Palestinian eyewitnesses reported Sunday that troops appeared to have essentially encircled Gaza City, but hadn't yet entered large population centers, according to wire reports.
Eyewitnesses reported Israeli shelling of Gaza City and heavy ground fighting Saturday night and early Sunday between Israeli armor and troops and Gaza militants in and around smaller northern towns. Gaza health officials reported 20 civilian deaths in the weekend fighting, while Israel officials confirmed some 30 Israeli wounded, according to the Associated Press.
As many as two dozen Gaza-launched rockets rained down on southern Israel by midday Sunday.
The Bush administration defended Israel's military incursion, asserting that Jerusalem had the right to defend itself against Hamas rocket fire and stressing that any cessation of hostilities must include guarantees of a change in Hamas's behavior.
The United Nations Security Council held emergency consultations Saturday night to address the escalation of violence, and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged an immediate halt to Israel's ground operation. Arab nations demanded that the Security Council call for an immediate cease-fire.
The U.S. late Saturday blocked approval of a Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas. U.S. officials said there was little chance Hamas would adhere to the statement, based on the group's earlier response to such calls for a cease-fire.
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