ISRAEL: Israel shells Gaza with artillery fire as ground troops advance deeper into Gaza

Record ID: 395411

  • Title: ISRAEL: Israel shells Gaza with artillery fire as ground troops advance deeper into Gaza
  • Date: 13th January 2009
  • Summary: ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER AREA, ISRAEL (JANUARY 13, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXPLOSIONS AND SMOKE OVER GAZA AS SEEN FROM ISRAELI SIDE OF BORDER ISRAELI SOLDIERS STANDING ALONG BORDER AREA SHELLS BEING FIRED AND SMOKE BILLOWING OVER GAZA ISRAELI SOLDIERS STANDING ON HILLTOP, HORSE PASSING BY VARIOUS OF ISRAELI TANKS FIRING WIDE OF SHELLS BEING FIRED AND SMOKE BILLOWING OVER GAZA
  • Embargoed: 28th January 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVACK4GD0XZJKJMHCUMKR06RVKOH
  • Story Text: Israel pounded Gaza with artillery fire on Tuesday (January 13) as tanks rolled into densely populated parts of the city of Gaza - possibly indicating a new phase in the operation that many fear will see a mounting death toll among civilian.
    Israeli tanks and cannons deployed along the border with Gaza continued to pound the Hamas-run strip in support of the ground forces as the devastating operation against Islamist Hamas entered its 18th consecutive day.
    Hamas said its forces detonated explosives beneath Israeli armour and fought with Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships and naval fire, in what seemed the most ferocious fighting since Israel sent ground troops into Gaza 10 days ago.
    Explosions set off by bombs and the sounds of heavy machine gun fire echoed continuously through the Hamas-ruled territory's largest city in the early hours of Tuesday.
    The Palestinian death toll in the 18 days since Israel launched its air offensive, passed 900, including many civilians. Israel has had 10 soldiers killed and three civilians from mortars and rockets fired from coastal Gaza.
    United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon headed to the region to further press for a truce in a week of talks with leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria.
    Egypt pursued efforts to broker a ceasefire with Gaza, a territory that sits on its northern border.
    But Lebanese political sources said Hamas negotiators would on Tuesday reject Cairo's proposals to end the offensive Israel said it launched so as to halt sporadic rocket fire from Gaza that causes few casualties but disrupts life in southern Israel.
    Hamas rejects Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and opposes U.S.-backed peace talks with Israel conducted by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah movement lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register