As the Israeli offensive against Hamas entered its 18th day, ground forces tightened their hold around the Gaza. Israeli military said troops were "tightening the encirclement of the city" as forces pushed deeper into the populated areas of the enclave where more than 900 Palestinians, nearly half of them women and children, have been killed.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert threatened to hit Hamas with an "iron fist" if it did not end the rocket attacks which Tel Aviv aims to end.
Olmert said Israel's key demands were non-negotiable. "We want to end the operation when the two conditions we have demanded are met: ending the rocket fire and stopping Hamas's rearmament. If these two conditions are met, we will end our operation in Gaza," he said. "Anything else will meet the iron fist of the Israeli people, who are no longer ready to tolerate the Qassams (rockets)."
Israeli military spokesman said nearly 30 missiles had been launched from Gaza yesterday, but no casualties were reported.
"We are tightening the encirclement of the city," the offensive's commander, Brigadier Eyal Eisenberg, told reporters. "We are not static. We are careful to be constantly on the move."
The defiant Hamas showed no signs of wavering. Gaza's Hamas prime minister said they were "closer to victory."
The fighting, which began on December 27, has killed more than 900 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, according to Palestinian medical officials. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have been killed.
No comments:
Post a Comment