Israeli troops close in on Gaza City

Israeli ground troops clashed Sunday morning with Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip, and reportedly bisected the coastal area. Early Sunday, thirty Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded, two of them seriously, in clashes with militants. Israeli troops close in on Gaza City Palestinian medics reported that shells fired by IDF troops exploded in the center of Gaza City's main shopping area, leaving five dead and dozens wounded. Doctors and hospital officials also said that 23 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's ground offensive since midnight, with 3 of those killed Hamas gunmen and the rest civilians. Israel began its ground operation in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night following a week of aerial attacks aimed at halting rocket fire on its southern communities. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that Israel could not allow residents of southern Israel to be continuously targeted and was left with no choice but to act. Palestinian sources said that Israeli troops had clashed with Gaza gunmen on the outskirts of Gaza City. IDF troops have bisected Gaza, cutting off the north - including Gaza City - from the rest of the strip. According to Palestinian reports, the split runs from the Karni crossing in central Gaza to the sea. Initial reports from both Israel and Gaza on Saturday night indicated that IDF troops had killed dozens of Hamas gunmen as they traded heavy fire upon entering the Strip. On Sunday morning, Palestinian medical officials said IDF troops had killed eight Gazans, five of them gunmen. The IDF Spokesperson's office issued a statement, emphasizing that this stage of the operation will further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term. "The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Israel Defense Forces Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas." Large numbers of forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israel navy, the Shin Bet security service and other security agencies. Meanwhile, the cabinet has authorized an emergency call up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists. The invasion was preceded by the firing of artillery shells into the strip from military preparation sites dotted along the Gaza-Israel border. The artillery fire aimed to detonate Hamas explosive devices and mines planted along the border area before troops marched in. Palestinian witnesses said the artillery barrage caused a large explosion in Gaza City as well as a series of blasts stitching the nearby frontier with Israel. Preparatory artillery fire in Gaza on Saturday (Beta/AP)

Israeli troops close in on Gaza City

Palestinian medics reported that shells fired by IDF troops exploded in the center of Gaza City's main shopping area, leaving five dead and dozens wounded.

Doctors and hospital officials also said that 23 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's ground offensive since midnight, with 3 of those killed Hamas gunmen and the rest civilians.

Israel began its ground operation in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night following a week of aerial attacks aimed at halting rocket fire on its southern communities.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that Israel could not allow residents of southern Israel to be continuously targeted and was left with no choice but to act.

Palestinian sources said that Israeli troops had clashed with Gaza gunmen on the outskirts of Gaza City.

IDF troops have bisected Gaza, cutting off the north - including Gaza City - from the rest of the strip. According to Palestinian reports, the split runs from the Karni crossing in central Gaza to the sea.

Initial reports from both Israel and Gaza on Saturday night indicated that IDF troops had killed dozens of Hamas gunmen as they traded heavy fire upon entering the Strip. On Sunday morning, Palestinian medical officials said IDF troops had killed eight Gazans, five of them gunmen.

The IDF Spokesperson's office issued a statement, emphasizing that this stage of the operation will further the goals of the eight-day offensive as voiced by the IDF until now: To strike a direct and hard blow against the Hamas while increasing the deterrent strength of the IDF, in order to bring about an improved and more stable security situation for residents of Southern Israel over the long term.

"The objective is to destroy the Hamas terror infrastructure in the area of operations," said Israel Defense Forces Major Avital Leibovitch, a military spokeswoman, confirming that incursions were under way. "We are going to take some of the launch areas used by Hamas."

Large numbers of forces are taking part in this stage of the operation including infantry, tanks, engineering forces, artillery and intelligence with the support of the Israel Air Force, Israel navy, the Shin Bet security service and other security agencies.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has authorized an emergency call up of tens of thousands of IDF reservists.

The invasion was preceded by the firing of artillery shells into the strip from military preparation sites dotted along the Gaza-Israel border.

The artillery fire aimed to detonate Hamas explosive devices and mines planted along the border area before troops marched in.

Palestinian witnesses said the artillery barrage caused a large explosion in Gaza City as well as a series of blasts stitching the nearby frontier with Israel.