Israeli ground operation, airstrikes continue, 514 killed

Source: Xinhua | 01-05-2009 07:53

GAZA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Sunday intensified strikes on the Gaza Strip for the ninth consecutive day, a day after its army carried out a large-scale ground operation into the enclave, leaving 514 people killed since Dec. 27.

Israeli soldiers drive an armored car in Gaza strip, Jan. 4, 2009. Israeli on Sunday army clamed 30 injureds since the ground operation on Jan. 3, 2009. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Israeli warplanes struck by missiles dozens of targets into Gaza on Sunday as columns of tanks rolled deep into the enclave on Saturday night, cutting it into two separate areas, Hamas local Radio Station al-Aqsa Radio said.

The Israeli army began a ground operation on Saturday night, eight days after Israeli warplanes carried out intensive airstrikes on hundreds of targets, where Israel said they belong to Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.

Witnesses said that dozens of tanks, armored vehicles and hundreds of Israeli paratroops seized an area south of Gaza City, which is used to be the Israeli settlement of Nitzarim, amid intensive tanks shelling in all directions.

The Israeli ground forces had also seized areas east of Gaza City, northeast and northwest of the Gaza Strip, said local Radio stations, adding that Israeli forces were supported by heavy and intensive airstrikes on the whole enclave.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian Health Ministry, told reporters that since the beginning of the ground operation in Gaza on Saturday night, over 50 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 injured.

He added that the death toll of the Palestinians who were killed since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 27, 514 were killed and 2600 wounded, at least 800 are in serious conditions.