An Israeli soldier wounded in the Gaza Strip arrives at Soroka Hospital in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba, Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. The expansion of Israel's offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers into ground battles and artillery salvos is taking a heavier toll on the civilians of the crowded sliver of land, including three toddlers killed Monday by the blast of a crashing shell. (AP Photo/Diego Mittelberg) From Yahoo News/Reuters:
GAZA (Reuters) – Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.
Israel's defense minister said the operation, aimed at stopping Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, could get more difficult before the mission was accomplished.
Hamas vowed to fight on in "every street, every alley" and threatened to fire more rockets across the border into Israel.
Read more .....
