Jerusalem: The Israeli assault on Gaza raged with heavy clashes continuing in the north and air strikes across the densely populated coastal strip, witnesses said.
An air strike on a street in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Zeitun, where much of the heavy fighting has taken place since Israeli ground forces invaded on Saturday, left one armed militant dead and three wounded, medics said.
Clashes were continuing in Zeitun, and there were reports of air strikes on the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah.
The fighting came on the heels of Israeli strikes on three UN-run schools yesterday that killed at least 48 people and pushed the Palestinian death toll above 660 since the war began on December 27.
Israeli forces had blazed into towns across Gaza on yesterday striking Hamas targets, while the Islamist movement made its deepest rocket strike yet into the Jewish state, defying Israeli efforts to halt the fire.
Heavy fighting had raged in Gaza City and around nearby Deir al-Balah and Bureij yesterday. One air raid on Gaza City killed 12 people, including seven children, from the same family.
At the same time, tanks with helicopter gunship support rolled into Khan Yunis before dawn, to be met with return fire from Hamas and its allies, witnesses said.
Four Israeli soldiers were killed in two friendly fire incidents overnight and another died when his patrol was attacked on Tuesday, bringing to six the total since Saturday.
About 35 Hamas rockets were fired over the border, one striking 45 kilometres inside Israel the deepest yet and slightly wounding a baby, the army said.
