Israel Lets Foreigners Flee Gaza

Evacuation of spouses raises fears of imminent ground assault
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 2, 2009 7:40 AM CST

Israel has reopened a border crossing to let foreign passport holders flee Gaza, the New York Times reports. Hundreds of men holding only Palestinian travel documents have been forced to remain behind as their wives and children are evacuated. The move raises fears that a wider Israeli assault on the territory, possibly including a ground invasion, is imminent.

Israel air strikes on Gaza continued today as troops massed at staging points along the border. The Palestinian death toll from the 7-day offensive has reached an estimated 422. Hamas is continuing to fire rockets into southern Israel in response. The entire country is on a state of high alert after Hamas declared today a "day of wrath" to avenge the killing of one of its top leaders yesterday.
(More Israel stories.)

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