Israel Bombs Gaza Tunnels

Israeli troops shoot it out with militants in suburbs as Egypt tries to broker ceasefire

(NEWSER) - Israeli troops are battling Hamas militants in the suburbs of Gaza City, filling residential streets with the chilling rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire, reports the BBC. Israeli forces have advanced deep into several neighborhoods, and air strikes hit 60 targets in Gaza overnight, including tunnels under the Egyptian border and the old Gaza city hall. Palestinian officials say the death toll has now hit 971, with some 40% of the victims women and childrens, according to the UN. More»

(NEWSER) - Egypt called Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip "murder" today as world leaders appealed for peace in the region, the AFP and Jerusalem Post report. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he was "deeply alarmed" by the violence, and, like Russia and the European Union, called for a ceasefire. Egypt opened its border checkpoint to allow care for injured Gazans, whose numbers have topped 400. More»

100 more wounded in assault on Hamas targets

(NEWSER) - A huge Israeli air assault on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 200 Palestinians and wounded at least 400, the AP reports. Those killed had mostly been inside police headquarters, Hamas said. Israel said the attacks were meant to end rocket and mortar attacks on Israel which had been mounting for days; Israel had pledged retaliation. More»

PM invokes phrase to threaten Hamas

(NEWSER) - As Israeli air strikes continued to hit Gaza targets overnight, a top Israel official warned that If Hamas continues to fire rockets at Israel, they "will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves." The rare use of the word usually reserved for Nazi genocide came from the country's deputy defense minister, as long-range missile attacks by Hamas on the city of Ashkelon have led Israel to step up its offensive in Gaza. More»

Government strikes deal with Hamas for Gilad Shalit

(NEWSER) - After more than five years as a captive of Palestinian militants, soldier Gilad Shalit will be home within days, the Israeli government says. Shalit, now 25, was 19 when he was captured during a cross-border raid in 2006, and his captivity has long been an emotional issue in Israel. To secure his release, the Israeli government has promised Hamas that it will free 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, close to a fifth of all Palestinians held by Israel, the BBC reports. More»