Israel striking Gaza from the sea

Gaza crisis: Israel strikes Gaza from the sea

Israel has been shelling Gaza from the sea and air as its bombardment of the coastal enclave moves into a fifth day.

BBC,

18 November, 2012

One missile hit a media tower block in the centre of Gaza City, reportedly injuring six Palestinian journalists.

Israel says it still wants to hit hundreds of Gaza targets as it seeks to stop Hamas and other militant groups from firing rockets into Israel.

Gaza militants on Saturday fired dozens of rockets into Israel, including one at Tel Aviv that was intercepted.

The health officials in Gaza says 48 Palestinians have been killed so far. Three Israelis were killed earlier this week.

At around 02:00 (00:00 GMT) on Sunday, the BBC's Jon Donnison in Gaza City reported hearing more than a dozen shells, apparently fired from Israeli war ships - a new development in Israel's operation Pillar of Defence.

Air strikes were also heard across Gaza City.

Our correspondent said a Hamas television station, al-Quds TV, was based in the media tower block, which had until last year housed the BBC's Gaza office.

'Back to the Middle Ages'

Egypt's president had said earlier there were "indications" a truce could be reached but that there were "no guarantees".

I live in a residential area close to lots of Hamas security buildings - the interior ministry is only 200m from my house - and we can hear bombings very close.

When Israel targets Hamas, civilians are always caught up in the cross-fire, and shelling from the sea is less accurate than aerial missile strikes.

People are exhausted after five days of bombing day and night.

Gaza has turned into a ghost city. Travelling during the night is very dangerous because Israeli drones are flying overhead.

Businesses, schools and universities are closed. The only people you find travelling around are ambulance drivers and journalists. People are only going out to buy food and fuel.

Mohammed Mursi was speaking in Cairo after meeting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is also in the Egyptian capital for the talks, aimed at de-escalating the conflict.

But he warned Israel against launching a ground offensive into Gaza.

Israel has put 75,000 reservists on stand-by, with one government minister being quoted as saying a ground offensive could be launched into Gaza on Sunday if the rocket fire does not stop.

Mr Mursi said: "If a ground invasion takes place... this will have serious repercussions for the region. We will never accept this and neither will the free world."

The Arab League has been holding an emergency meeting, also in Cairo, and announced it would send a delegation to Gaza in the next few days.

At least 46 Palestinians and three Israelis have died since Israel's operation began on Wednesday with an air strike that killed Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari.

Since then, Israel's army says it has targeted more than 900 sites, while 500 rockets fired from Gaza had hit Israel.

Another 257 missiles had been intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system, it added.

Sirens went off around Tel Aviv again on Saturday, with Israel's military saying Iron Dome had intercepted one missile fired from Gaza.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai was quoted by Israel's Haaretz newspaper as saying that the goal of the Pillar of Defence operation was "to send Gaza back to the Middle Ages. Only then will Israel be calm for 40 years".

Israeli military officials have said the bombardment of Gaza has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas, but suggested a ground invasion might be necessary to neutralise the group's military capability.

"Most of their weapons are stored in civilian's homes, they launch rockets from residential areas," said Maj Gen Tal Russo, Israel's southern commander.

"We do not want to hit civilians in Gaza but we do want to hit the hornets' nest of terror in Gaza."

Militants and civilians, including children, have been among the Palestinians killed by Israeli strikes.

The three Israelis who died were in a building in the southern town of Kiryat Malachi which was hit by a rocket on Thursday.