Israeli tanks and troops seized control of large parts of the Gaza Strip yesterday, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes as relentless artillery and gunfire killed at least 40 more civilians, including children. Some were killed when an Israeli shell hit Gaza City's central market, guardian reported.
Palestinians flooded in to the heart of the city in the hope of finding shelter as Israeli forces fought Hamas in northern Gaza. But they faced a long and fearful night in darkness, lit up only by the explosion of Israeli shells and flares, after Israel cut electricity to the enclave.
The UN said all hospitals in Gaza City, straining to deal with hundreds of wounded Palestinians over the past few days, had been without mains electricity for 48 hours and were depending on back-up generators, which were close to failing.
As the Palestinian death toll rose past 500 yesterday, there were growing international calls for a ceasefire, including from Gordon Brown. But with Hamas continuing to fire more than 30 rockets out of Gaza yesterday, Israel remained to determined to press ahead with its military campaign for now.
One Israeli soldier was killed near Jabalya in the first hours of the invasion. Another 29 were injured. A total of five Israelis - three civilians and two soldiers - have been killed since last Saturday when the Israeli campaign began.
Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, said the ground invasion, which began on Saturday night and was the most serious fighting in Gaza for decades, was "unavoidable". Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, said Israel would not accept a ceasefire. "Hamas needs a real and serious lesson. They are now getting it," he told a US television network. "We shall not accept the idea that Hamas will continue to fire and we shall declare a ceasefire. It does not make any sense."
But as Israeli forces pushed into the towns of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya in northern Gaza, the civilian toll among Palestinians rose rapidly. Five died when an Israeli artillery shell landed in Palestinian Square, a shopping centre in central Gaza City; five more were killed outside a mosque in northern Gaza. The dead also included a paramedic working for an Oxfam-funded organisation after an ambulance was hit by an Israeli shell in the Beit Lahiya. The Palestinian, working for the Union of Health Work Committees, was killed in Gaza. Another paramedic lost his foot and the ambulance driver was injured in the same incident. The paramedic was trying to help evacuate an injured person in the Beit Lahiya area, when the shell struck the ambulance, Oxfam said. The overall Palestinian death toll rose to more than 500, with more than 2,300 wounded.
Hamas warned Israel of more battles to come. "You entered like rats. Your entry to Gaza won't be easy. Gaza will be a graveyard for you, God willing," Ismail Radwan, a Hamas spokesman said on the group's television station.
Last night heavy fighting was reported in northern Gaza at Jabalya; just east of Gaza City in a district called Zeitoun; in the area of the former Jewish settlement of Netzarim, south of Gaza City; and in the middle of the Gaza Strip. The territory, home to 1.5 million Palestinians - more than half of whom are children - has effectively been divided south of Gaza City by the Israeli troops, who in some places have reached as far as the Mediterranean, and there were also reports of a further division by Israeli troops to the north. Israeli forces were also seen in southern Gaza, near the town of Rafah, along the Egyptian border.
Israel's long-term intentions are still unclear: these incursions may end within days, or they may be the prelude to a longer military reoccupation.
Gordon Brown said the fighting was of "grave concern" and called for an "immediate ceasefire."
Fresh evidence emerged of the humanitarian crisis when Gisha, the Israeli human rights group, reported that 75% of the territory's electricity had been cut off. Gaza's sole power plant has been closed since Monday because no industrial diesel has been allowed in.
Gisha said 48 of Gaza's 130 water wells were not working because of the electricity shortages, leaving more than 500,000 people entirely cut off from their water supply. Five of Gaza's 37 waste water pumping stations have shut down because of lack of electricity and the remaining stations are only partially operating. All UN food distribution had to be suspended and all crossings into Gaza were closed yesterday, preventing any aid from arriving.
Brigadier General Avi Benayahu, an Israeli military spokesman, said the military's goals for "phase two" of the campaign were: "to deal a heavy blow to the Hamas terror organisation, to strengthen Israel's deterrence and to create a better security situation for those living around the Gaza Strip that will be maintained for the long term."
The decision to launch a ground offensive came after a late-night meeting between Olmert, Ehud Barak, the defence minister and Tzipi Livni, the foreign minister, which ran until 4am on Saturday. A security cabinet meeting then approved the operation.
Diplomacy to end the conflict appeared to falter. Late on Saturday night, the US blocked a UN security council statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Meanwhile Jiri Potuznik, a spokesman for the EU presidency held by the Czech Republic, said the ground invasion was a "defensive, not offensive, action". Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, cancelled a trip to China to make time for the Gaza crisis.
Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy for the Quartet, was due to meet Barak last night.
Israel continued to bar journalists from entering Gaza to report on the fighting.
