The sun sets over the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Israeli troops backed by scores of tanks are battling Hamas fighters in Gaza fields and roads, surrounding the battered territory's main city on a mission to end militant rocket attacks. (AFP/Jack Guez)From Yahoo News/AFP:
GAZA CITY (AFP) – Tens of thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks battled Hamas fighters in Gaza fields and roads on Sunday as the Palestinian death toll from the offensive to end militant rocket attacks passed 500.
Israeli forces surrounded the enclave's main city and families fled other battlefield towns in packed trucks and cars to escape the biggest Israeli military operation since its 2006 war in Lebanon.
More than 45 Palestinians were killed by tank shells or missiles fired from warplanes since the ground offensive was launched on Saturday night, Gaza medics said.
Israel said one of its soldiers was by a mortar shell and about 30 were wounded.
Moawiya Hassanein, head of Gaza medical emergency services, told AFP the number of Palestinian killed since the Israeli operation was launched on December 27 had now passed 500, including 87 children.
But he expected the death toll to mount further saying "there are many martyrs and wounded in the streets, but we have not been able to get to them."
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