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| Casualties rise in Gaza offensive | Casualties rise in Gaza offensive |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Casualties have been pouring into over-stretched hospitals in the Gaza Strip as Israel presses on with its offensive against Palestinian militant groups. | Casualties have been pouring into over-stretched hospitals in the Gaza Strip as Israel presses on with its offensive against Palestinian militant groups. |
| Palestinian medical officials said earlier that 90 people, including many civilians and 26 children, had died since Israel's ground assault began. | |
| Israel says it is targeting militants continuing to fire rockets into Israel. | Israel says it is targeting militants continuing to fire rockets into Israel. |
| Intense diplomatic efforts are under way to resolve the crisis, but Israel rejected calls for an immediate truce. | |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is on a mission to the region, appealed for a halt to the violence to allow humanitarian aid through. | |
| 'Shattered bodies' | 'Shattered bodies' |
| There were reports of fierce fighting in northern Gaza on Monday as news began to emerge of the scale of the problems facing medical staff in the territory. | |
| Dr Khamis al-Essi, an emergency doctor at Gaza's biggest hospital, al-Shifa, said they were struggling to cope with the huge numbers of casualties. class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7811189.stm">Map: Gaza incursion - Week Two class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/7810888.stm">Analysis: Israeli pride at a cost class="" href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7812189.stm">In pictures: Gaza offensive class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/arabic/news/">BBC News in Arabic | |
| He said they had received "all sorts of casualties, from shattered bodies, beheaded individuals and patients with superficial cuts and lacerations". | He said they had received "all sorts of casualties, from shattered bodies, beheaded individuals and patients with superficial cuts and lacerations". |
| "Most of the injuries affected civilians, especially women and children," he told the BBC. | "Most of the injuries affected civilians, especially women and children," he told the BBC. |
| The BBC's Rushdi Abou Alouf, reporting from inside the hospital, said he had seen as many as 900 people being treated. | |
| The doctors say they are running out of medicine, and there is a severe shortage of all essential medical and blood supplies across Gaza, he says. | |
| Among the dead was a family of seven killed by an Israeli air strike in a refugee camp east of Gaza City, health officials said. | Among the dead was a family of seven killed by an Israeli air strike in a refugee camp east of Gaza City, health officials said. |
| Dr Essi said many families were in need of ambulances, but medical workers were struggling to reach casualties because they were being shot at. | Dr Essi said many families were in need of ambulances, but medical workers were struggling to reach casualties because they were being shot at. |
| Israel insists it is not targeting civilians, and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields by operating in densely-populated areas. | Israel insists it is not targeting civilians, and accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields by operating in densely-populated areas. |
| Fighting was reported around Beit Hanoun and Jabaliya, and Gaza city itself - a little further south - was said to have been encircled. | |
| Another BBC journalist in Gaza, Hamada Abu Qammar, said residents on the edges of the city were heading into the city centre seeking safe places away from the fighting. | |
| Information scarceThe Israeli army said it hit 40 targets in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including several tunnels and the homes of a number of Hamas officials. One million people are without electricity. Crucially the hospitals in Gaza are running on emergency generators - this in my book amounts to a humanitarian crisis UN spokesman Christopher Gunness Fear for homes amid Gaza dangerAid worker diary: Part eightHamas set for bitter battle | |
| There were also reports that troops had pounded mosques they believe are being used as weapons' stores and seized a main highway, effectively slicing the territory in two. | |
| But information about what is happening is limited as Israel has barred foreign reporters from entering Gaza. | But information about what is happening is limited as Israel has barred foreign reporters from entering Gaza. |
| Palestinian medical sources say the number of people killed in Gaza now stands at more than 500, with some 2,500 wounded. These figures cannot be independently verified. | Palestinian medical sources say the number of people killed in Gaza now stands at more than 500, with some 2,500 wounded. These figures cannot be independently verified. |
| Five Israelis have been killed since the start of Israel's military operation 10 days ago. | Five Israelis have been killed since the start of Israel's military operation 10 days ago. |
| Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Hamas had suffered a "hard blow", but insisted the offensive in Gaza would continue. | Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Hamas had suffered a "hard blow", but insisted the offensive in Gaza would continue. |
| "We still haven't reached our objectives," Mr Barak told Israeli MPs. | "We still haven't reached our objectives," Mr Barak told Israeli MPs. |
| A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, identified as Abu Obeida, said "thousands" of fighters were ready to battle Israeli troops inside Gaza. | A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, identified as Abu Obeida, said "thousands" of fighters were ready to battle Israeli troops inside Gaza. |
| And he said rocket attacks on Israel would continue. | And he said rocket attacks on Israel would continue. |
| The Israeli army said Palestinian militants fired 20 missiles into southern Israel on Monday. | The Israeli army said Palestinian militants fired 20 missiles into southern Israel on Monday. |
| Shuttle diplomacy | Shuttle diplomacy |
| For the people of Gaza, living conditions are deteriorating sharply. Supplies of fuel, food, water, and wheat are said to be running desperately low. | For the people of Gaza, living conditions are deteriorating sharply. Supplies of fuel, food, water, and wheat are said to be running desperately low. |
| Middle East envoy Tony Blair: 'We want an immediate ceasefire' | Middle East envoy Tony Blair: 'We want an immediate ceasefire' |
| A spokesman for Unrwa, the UN aid agency for the Palestinians, said food was urgently needed and people were facing "serious hunger", with supplies for just 48 hours. | A spokesman for Unrwa, the UN aid agency for the Palestinians, said food was urgently needed and people were facing "serious hunger", with supplies for just 48 hours. |
| "One million people are without electricity. Crucially the hospitals in Gaza are running on emergency generators. This in my book amounts to a humanitarian crisis," Christopher Gunness told the BBC. | "One million people are without electricity. Crucially the hospitals in Gaza are running on emergency generators. This in my book amounts to a humanitarian crisis," Christopher Gunness told the BBC. |
| Israel said it had allowed a convoy of 80 lorries carrying food and medicines through Gaza's southern frontier. | Israel said it had allowed a convoy of 80 lorries carrying food and medicines through Gaza's southern frontier. |
| Away from the frontline, diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip have been moving into high gear. | Away from the frontline, diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting in the Gaza Strip have been moving into high gear. |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy held talks with Palestinian leaders in the West Bank town of Ramallah at the start of series of meetings across the Middle East. | |
| In remarks broadcast on French radio, he "condemned" the Israeli ground offensive but said Hamas had also "acted in an irresponsible and unforgivable manner" by ending a six-month ceasefire with Israel and resuming firing rockets. | |
| Decision of arms not diplomacyBrown urges end to Gaza violence | |
| US President George W Bush also blamed the current situation on Hamas militants. | |
| "Instead of caring about the people of Gaza, Hamas decided to use Gaza to launch rockets to kill innocent Israelis," he said. | |
| An EU delegation met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday before heading to Israel for talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. | |
| "The EU insists on a cease-fire at the earliest possible moment," said Karel Schwarzenberg, the foreign minister of the Czech Republic, which took over the EU's presidency last week. | "The EU insists on a cease-fire at the earliest possible moment," said Karel Schwarzenberg, the foreign minister of the Czech Republic, which took over the EU's presidency last week. |
| But Ms Livni appeared to rebuff the call, saying: "When Israel is being targeted, Israel is going to retaliate." | But Ms Livni appeared to rebuff the call, saying: "When Israel is being targeted, Israel is going to retaliate." |
| "Israel is going to give an answer to it because this is an ongoing, long battle, war, against terror." | "Israel is going to give an answer to it because this is an ongoing, long battle, war, against terror." |
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