International

Israeli troops surround Gaza city

DUBAI: Israel has begun reinforcing its forces in Gaza by sending its reservists into combat with the Palestinian group Hamas which is battling the invading force heading towards the densely populated Gaza city.

“We have begun to integrate reservist forces into the action in the Gaza Strip,” Israel’s chief military spokesman, Avi Benayahu, told the domestic Channel 2. “We aren’t acting in panic, but cautiously,” he said.

Analysts say the troop build up around Gaza city could signal the beginning of a “third phase” of the operation — the first two being the air campaign and the deployment of ground forces in the relatively less populated areas of the coastal strip. Conversely, Israelis maybe attempting to impose psychological pressure on Hamas which is involved in difficult negotiations in Egypt on a possible ceasefire.

In case an all-out urban war in Gaza city ignites, it is likely to cause a surge in casualties among the combatants and the civilian population residing there. Medical officials said on Monday the Palestinian death toll in the Israeli offensive had crossed 900, including at least 380 civilians. Israel has said 13 Israelis, comprising three civilians and 10 soldiers, have been killed.

As the war entered its seventeenth day, Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel from Gaza. At least 13 rockets on Monday hit the border town of Sderot and the cities of Ashkelon and Beersheba further ahead. Israeli forces are positioning tanks on the northern and eastern edges of Gaza city. Overnight, Israeli planes pounded southern Gaza close to the Rafa border in an apparent attempt to block cross-border smuggling tunnels into Gaza from the Egyptian side. Some of the fiercest battles were fought on Sunday since the conflict began on December 27.

Backed by the Air Force, Israeli ground forces, including infantry units, tanks, combat engineers and artillery participated in these operations. The Israeli Navy also provided back-up support by shelling parts of Gaza. Palestinian medical staff said around 60 Palestinian fighters died during the course of intense combat.

Ceasefire negotiations in Egypt continued to encounter difficulties, as Hamas representatives reaffirmed their position on some of the major issues. Hamas rejects the deployment of international forces inside Gaza and handing over the Strip’s administration to the Palestinian Authority. Besides, it insists on the lifting of an embargo on Gaza and the opening all border crossings. According to the Arabic daily Al Hayat, Hamas representatives are also discussing the monitoring mechanism at the border crossings and the issue of preventing cross-border smuggling of weapons.

Two leaders of Hamas, based in Syria, Imad al-Almi and Mohammed Nasser, along with three Gaza officials from Gaza are participating in the talks. Mr. Al-Almi and Mr. Nasser are rejoining talks later on Monday after heading for Damascus for consultations on Sunday. Turkey is also a participant in negotiations.

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