Israel escalates offensive into Gaza cities!
GAZA CITY - January 6, 2009 - Israeli tanks and helicopter gunships went blazing into towns across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, attacking Hamas targets and searching for its leaders as the war death toll approached 600.
Troops fought Islamist militants around the back alleys of Gaza's main city in the heaviest fighting of the 11-day-old offensive to halt rocket attacks on Israel. Hamas made its deepest rocket strike yet into Israel.
On the diplomatic front, Arab nations pressed the case for a UN Security Council resolution condemning the onslaught, but Israel rejected ceasefire calls by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other leaders.
"Europe must open its eyes," President Shimon Peres told an EU ministerial delegation that demanded a truce. "We are not in the business of public relations or improving our image. We are fighting against terror and we have every right to defend our citizens."
Black smoke covered districts of Gaza City and the edges of Deir al-Balah and al-Bureij where heavy fighting raged on Tuesday.
Tanks backed by helicopter gunships rolled into the southern town of Khan Yunis before dawn, to be met by return fire from Hamas and its allies, witnesses said.
One air strike killed 12 people - including seven children - from the same family in Gaza City. Israeli strikes also hit two UN-run schools, one crowded with refugees, killing at least five Palestinians, medics and UN officials said.
Two people were killed when an artillery shell slammed into a school in Khan Yunis and three people were killed in an air strike on a school in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, they said.
Four Israeli soldiers were killed in two friendly fire incidents during the overnight surge in fighting, the army said. Five have now died since Saturday.
About 12 Hamas rockets were fired over the border, one reaching 45 kilometres (28 miles) inside Israeli territory, the deepest yet, lightly wounding a baby, the army said.
Three civilians and one soldier have been killed by rocket fire inside Israel since the offensive was launched.
