Israel / Gaza Strip Situation (Updated)

At Least 280 Palestinians Killed as Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Continue - Voice of America

Israeli warplanes have struck Hamas militant targets in the Gaza Strip on the second day of an offensive that has killed at least 280 Palestinians.

Palestinian health workers say Israeli aircraft destroyed Hamas' main security complex in Gaza City Sunday, killing four people. Earlier, Israel's military bombed a Gaza City mosque that it says was a terrorist base, killing two people.

Israel's military deployed ground troops on the edge of Gaza while the Cabinet approved a callup of 6,500 reservists, suggesting plans to expand the offensive.

Gaza militants responded by firing scores of rockets into southern Israel today. Two rockets landed near the Israeli port of Ashdod, reaching deeper into Israel than any rocket previously fired from Gaza. No casualties were reported.

Gaza's streets were deserted and schools were closed. Israel also allowed an aid convoy into Gaza, slightly easing its blockade on the Hamas-run territory.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas criticized Hamas, saying it could have avoided the air strikes if it had extended a six-month truce with Israel. Mr. Abbas was speaking today on a visit to Cairo.

More at Voice of America.

IDF Masses Forces Near Gaza Ahead of Possible Ground Op - Yaakov Katz, Jerusalem Post

The IDF was beefing up forces around the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening in preparation for a possible ground operation following a massive air assault earlier in the day.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi were holding consultations on the army's next course of action.

Defense officials estimated that Hamas was capable of firing 150-200 rockets a day, adding that the operation could last for weeks.

Israel's goals, officials added, were to end Hamas rocket fire, end smuggling of arms into Gaza and severely disrupt any Hamas military activity.

More at The Jerusalem Post.

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill Scores - Joshua Mitnick and Charles Levinson, Wall Street Journal

Israeli combat jets and helicopters targeted Hamas security compounds across the Gaza Strip Saturday in a massive and bloody aerial assault, a move that Israeli officials characterized as the start of an open-ended offensive against the Islamic militant group.

Hamas officials claimed at least 200 dead and hundreds others injured in the attack, suggesting the highest one-day Palestinian death toll in years. It was impossible to verify those numbers.

Israeli officials had vowed to retaliate against dozens of rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza in recent days. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israelis should be prepared for a prolonged confrontation.

More at The Wall Street Journal.

Scores in Gaza Strip Killed in Wave of Israeli Airstrikes - Samuel Sockol, Washington Post

Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes Saturday throughout the Gaza Strip in retaliation for rockets fired into Israel from the Hamas-ruled territory, killing at least 205 Palestinians and wounding more than 350, Palestinian health officials reported.

Missiles launched by Israeli F-16 warplanes hit Hamas security installations, killing Hamas officials, policemen, security officials and bystanders, they said. Many people were reported still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Following the strikes, Palestinian factions in Gaza launched dozens of rockets into southern Israel from the strip, killing a resident in the town of Netivot and wounding at least four others. Other rockets landed in the port town of Ashdod.

More at The Washington Post.

Israelis Say Strikes Against Hamas Will Continue - Taghreed El-Khodary and Ethan Bronner, New York Times

Waves of Israeli airstrikes destroyed Hamas security facilities in Gaza on Saturday in a crushing response to the group's rocket fire, killing more than 225 — the highest one-day toll in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades.

Israeli military officials said the airstrikes, which went on into the night, were the start of what could be days or even months of an effort to force Hamas to end its rocket barrages into southern Israel. The operation could include ground forces, a senior Israeli security official said.

Palestinian officials said that most of the dead were security officers for Hamas, including two senior commanders, and that at least 600 people had been wounded in the attacks.

More at The New York Times and:

Israel Strikes Gaza in 2nd Day of Attacks - Associated Press

Israel Pounds Hamas Targets for Second Day - United Press International

Destruction Continues in Gaza - BBC News

Israel to Mobilise Some Military Reserves for Gaza - Reuters

Israeli Gaza Strike Kills More Than 200 - New York Times

Israel Hammers Hamas in Gaza - Washington Times

Israel Strikes Hamas Targets in Gaza, 230 Dead - Los Angeles Times

Israeli Jets Kill 'More than 200' in Gaza Strikes - The Times

Israel Rains Death on Gaza - Arab News

Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Strip Leave Scores Dead - Los Angeles Times

Massive Israeli Air Raids on Gaza - BBC News