This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7802515.stm
The article has changed 25 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Israel bombs university in Gaza | Israel bombs university in Gaza |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Israeli air force jets have bombed the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, a significant cultural symbol for Hamas. | Israeli air force jets have bombed the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip, a significant cultural symbol for Hamas. |
| Warplanes also struck Hamas government offices as air raids aimed at forcing Palestinian militants to halt rocket fire into southern Israel continued. | Warplanes also struck Hamas government offices as air raids aimed at forcing Palestinian militants to halt rocket fire into southern Israel continued. |
| Palestinian medics say nearly 300 people have been killed in the air raids that began on Saturday. | Palestinian medics say nearly 300 people have been killed in the air raids that began on Saturday. |
| Israel has threatened to launch a ground assault and is now calling up 6,500 army reservists. | Israel has threatened to launch a ground assault and is now calling up 6,500 army reservists. |
| Witnesses in Gaza said they saw six separate air strikes on the Islamic University, hitting a laboratory building, just after midnight. | Witnesses in Gaza said they saw six separate air strikes on the Islamic University, hitting a laboratory building, just after midnight. |
| The university is a centre of support for Hamas - the Islamist militant group which controls the Gaza Strip. Many of its top officials graduated from there. | The university is a centre of support for Hamas - the Islamist militant group which controls the Gaza Strip. Many of its top officials graduated from there. |
| A BBC journalist in Gaza said the university authorities had evacuated the campus a few days ago as they had been expecting a strike. | A BBC journalist in Gaza said the university authorities had evacuated the campus a few days ago as they had been expecting a strike. |
| 'Success' | 'Success' |
| Ewa Jasiewicz, an international volunteer with the Free Gaza Movement in Bayt Lahiya in the north of Gaza, told the BBC she had heard explosions late into the night and had seen local TV reports of a helicopter bombing a mosque and killing five girls. Grief and fear in GazaRockets plague Israeli townsIn pictures: Gaza under siege | |
| She said she had seen for herself hospitals desperately overstretched as they struggled with serious casualties. | She said she had seen for herself hospitals desperately overstretched as they struggled with serious casualties. |
| "Because Gaza is so densely populated, there is no such thing as precision strike - you have glass, brick, shrapnel flying into people's homes," she said. | "Because Gaza is so densely populated, there is no such thing as precision strike - you have glass, brick, shrapnel flying into people's homes," she said. |
| Earlier on Sunday, Israel bombed supply tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used by Palestinians to smuggle food and other supplies - including weapons, says Israel - past the Israeli blockade of the territory. | Earlier on Sunday, Israel bombed supply tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip used by Palestinians to smuggle food and other supplies - including weapons, says Israel - past the Israeli blockade of the territory. |
| As jets pounded the southern Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians stormed over a fence on the Gaza-Egypt border, but Egyptian security forces fired shots to prevent them entering. | As jets pounded the southern Gaza Strip, hundreds of Palestinians stormed over a fence on the Gaza-Egypt border, but Egyptian security forces fired shots to prevent them entering. |
| An Egyptian security official was shot dead and another wounded in the turmoil which followed. | An Egyptian security official was shot dead and another wounded in the turmoil which followed. |
| See a detailed map of the area | See a detailed map of the area |
| At the UN, the Security Council joined international calls for restraint by urging an end to all violence in Gaza, including rocket attacks from Gaza. | At the UN, the Security Council joined international calls for restraint by urging an end to all violence in Gaza, including rocket attacks from Gaza. |
| Israel says militants have fired 110 rockets into Israel since Saturday. | Israel says militants have fired 110 rockets into Israel since Saturday. |
| The air strikes were launched on Saturday against Hamas targets in the densely-populated coastal territory, less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with the militant group. | The air strikes were launched on Saturday against Hamas targets in the densely-populated coastal territory, less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with the militant group. |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the Gaza assault | Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on the Gaza assault |
| Israel has hit targets in all Gaza's main towns, including Gaza City in the north and Khan Younis and Rafah in the south. | Israel has hit targets in all Gaza's main towns, including Gaza City in the north and Khan Younis and Rafah in the south. |
| More than 210 targets were hit in the first 24 hours of what Israel says could be a lengthy military operation. | More than 210 targets were hit in the first 24 hours of what Israel says could be a lengthy military operation. |
| "We took Hamas by surprise, we targeted Hamas headquarters, so this is the beginning of a successful operation, I hope, but the idea is to change realities on the ground," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the BBC on Sunday. | "We took Hamas by surprise, we targeted Hamas headquarters, so this is the beginning of a successful operation, I hope, but the idea is to change realities on the ground," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the BBC on Sunday. |
| The high numbers of casualties made Saturday the single deadliest day in the Gaza Strip since Israel's occupation of the territory in 1967, analysts said, although no independent confirmation is available of the numbers killed. | The high numbers of casualties made Saturday the single deadliest day in the Gaza Strip since Israel's occupation of the territory in 1967, analysts said, although no independent confirmation is available of the numbers killed. |
| Border confusion | Border confusion |
| Most of those killed were policemen in the Hamas militant movement, but officials said women and children also died. RUN-UP TO GAZA RAIDS Shaky Egyptian-brokered six-month truce between Hamas and Israel agreed on 19 JunePalestinian rocket fire and Israeli operations in Gaza reducedViolence resumes on 4 Nov as Israel launches incursion which it says targets Hamas tunnel; Palestinians respond with rocket fireHostilities increase; Israel tightens blockade on GazaTruce expires on 19 Dec; both sides blame each other for its breakdown; rocket fire increasesIsrael launches major air strikes on 27 Dec Aid worker diary: Gaza raids | Most of those killed were policemen in the Hamas militant movement, but officials said women and children also died. RUN-UP TO GAZA RAIDS Shaky Egyptian-brokered six-month truce between Hamas and Israel agreed on 19 JunePalestinian rocket fire and Israeli operations in Gaza reducedViolence resumes on 4 Nov as Israel launches incursion which it says targets Hamas tunnel; Palestinians respond with rocket fireHostilities increase; Israel tightens blockade on GazaTruce expires on 19 Dec; both sides blame each other for its breakdown; rocket fire increasesIsrael launches major air strikes on 27 Dec Aid worker diary: Gaza raids |
| The head of Gaza's police was among those killed and hundreds were wounded. | The head of Gaza's police was among those killed and hundreds were wounded. |
| In Israel, one person was killed on Saturday in the town of Netivot, some 20km (12 miles) east of Gaza, while there were reports of several Qassam rocket strikes early on Sunday. | In Israel, one person was killed on Saturday in the town of Netivot, some 20km (12 miles) east of Gaza, while there were reports of several Qassam rocket strikes early on Sunday. |
| Rockets landed in Ashdod, Israel's largest southern city - some 38km (23 miles) from Gaza - the deepest they have ever struck inside Israel, Israeli media said. No injuries were reported. | Rockets landed in Ashdod, Israel's largest southern city - some 38km (23 miles) from Gaza - the deepest they have ever struck inside Israel, Israeli media said. No injuries were reported. |
| A Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli fire in the north of the West Bank during protests against the raids, medics said. | A Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli fire in the north of the West Bank during protests against the raids, medics said. |
| 'Ugly massacre' | 'Ugly massacre' |
| US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has suggested Hamas held the key to restoring calm. Israel has positioned tanks just outside the Gaza Strip Anti-Israeli protest in UKGaza raids: Your reactionVoices: Reaction to raidsGaza: World reaction in quotes | US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad has suggested Hamas held the key to restoring calm. Israel has positioned tanks just outside the Gaza Strip Anti-Israeli protest in UKGaza raids: Your reactionVoices: Reaction to raidsGaza: World reaction in quotes |
| "We believe the way forward from here is for rocket attacks against Israel to stop, for all violence to end," he said. | "We believe the way forward from here is for rocket attacks against Israel to stop, for all violence to end," he said. |
| He was implicitly backed up from Cairo by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah faction is a bitter rival of Hamas. | He was implicitly backed up from Cairo by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - whose Fatah faction is a bitter rival of Hamas. |
| "We could have avoided what happened," Mr Abbas said, saying the Islamist group should have renewed the ceasefire before it lapsed. | "We could have avoided what happened," Mr Abbas said, saying the Islamist group should have renewed the ceasefire before it lapsed. |
| The air raids came days after the truce expired and as Israel prepares for a general election in February. | The air raids came days after the truce expired and as Israel prepares for a general election in February. |
| The exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has called for a new intifada, or uprising, against Israel, while the movement's Gaza leader, Ismail Haniya, called the attack an "ugly massacre". | The exiled leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, has called for a new intifada, or uprising, against Israel, while the movement's Gaza leader, Ismail Haniya, called the attack an "ugly massacre". |
| The Israel-Hamas truce was regularly under strain and was allowed to lapse when it expired this month. | The Israel-Hamas truce was regularly under strain and was allowed to lapse when it expired this month. |
| From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. | From 1967 Israel's military occupied the Gaza Strip and Jewish settlers built communities within the territory. Israel withdrew in 2005 but has maintained control of Gaza's borders. |
| Return to top | Return to top |