Israel intensified its offensive in southern Gaza early on Thursday, as tanks entered the territory from Israel and warplanes struck suspected tunnels in the Egyptian border city of Rafah, witnesses said.
Israel intensified its offensive in southern Gaza early on Thursday, as tanks entered the territory from Israel and warplanes struck suspected tunnels in the Egyptian border city of Rafah, witnesses said.
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Dozens of tanks, supported by several helicopters, entered Gaza at the Kisufim border crossing at around 04:30 am IST and were headed toward the city of Khan Yunis, witnesses said.
The army could not immediately confirm that claim. There were also unconfirmed reports that there had earlier been three air strikes on open areas near Khan Yunis.
Meanwhile, warplanes hit a house and a suspected tunnel in an open area near the Egyptian border, witnesses said. The army, which had warned of an overnight bombing campaign, confirmed that strikes were taking place in Rafah.
There were no immediate reports of casualties in Rafah. Israel, whose assault on Gaza is aimed at preventing the enclave's Hamas rulers from firing rockets into its territory, claims that the Islamist group is supplied with weapons through hundreds of tunnels coming from Egypt.
Yesterday afternoon, Israeli planes dropped tens of thousands of leaflets on the Rafah area, warning people to leave their houses or face air strikes.
People were told that they could return to their homes at 1130 IST today.
Egypt pushes talk with Israel, Hamas, Palestinians
Egypt's top diplomats said that Egypt plans to broker 'technical' talks in Cairo separately with representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
Egypt's UN Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz told reporters that 'representatives from all sides' planned to go to Cairo to discuss the Israeli-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
He said the technical delegations would each meet with Egyptian officials to discuss an Egyptian-French initiative to end the fighting in Gaza, but that the parties would not necessarily sit down in the same room together.
Details of the plan aren't clear, but the initiative calls for a limited cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas fighting to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed that the Islamic militant group Hamas had been invited, but 'if they come' their representatives will not meet in the same room as Israel's.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Israel and the moderate Palestinian Authority Hamas' rival accepted the cease-fire plan though it is not a direct party to the conflict.
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