Israeli ground forces enter Gaza in escalation

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GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli tanks and infantry rolled into Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive in a widening war against Hamas that the Israeli defense minister said “will not be easy and will not be short.”

The ground operation was preceded by several hours of heavy artillery fire after dark, igniting flames in the night sky. Machine gun fire rattled as bright tracer rounds flashed through the darkness and the crash of hundreds of shells sent up streaks of fire.

Artillery fired illuminating rounds, sending streaks of bright light drifting down over Gaza’s densely packed neighborhoods. Gunbattles could be heard, as troops crossed the border into Gaza, marching single file. They were backed by helicopter gunships and tanks.

“Gaza will not be paved with flowers for you, it will be paved with fire and hell,” Hamas warned Israeli forces. Spokesman Ismail Radwan said in a televised speech Gaza will “become a graveyard” for Israeli soldiers.

“This will not be easy and it will not be short,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a televised address shortly after the ground invasion began. “I don’t want to disillusion anybody and residents of the south will go through difficult days,” he added. “We do not seek war but we will not abandon our citizens to the ongoing Hamas attacks.”

Israeli security officials said the objective is not to reoccupy Gaza. The depth and intensity of the ground operation will depend on parallel diplomatic efforts, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

President George W. Bush has been briefed on the situation in the Gaza Strip and is in regular contact with Israeli, regional and European leaders, a White House spokesman said Saturday, Agence France Presse reported.

“President Bush was briefed this afternoon on the current situation in Gaza and the actions of the IDF,” (Israeli Defense Forces), said spokesman Anthony Warren, hours after Israel sent ground troops into the coastal territory.

“US officials have been in regular contact with the Israelis as well as officials from countries in the region and Europe,” said Warren, according to AFP.

Any ceasefire in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip must not allow a return to the status quo, the State Department said Saturday, urging the Israeli military to be mindful of potential civilian consequences.

“We are working toward a ceasefire that would not allow a reestablishment of the status quo ante, where Hamas can continue to launch rockets out of Gaza and to condemn the people of Gaza to a life of misery,” said spokesman Sean McCormack, AFP reported.

“It is obvious that that ceasefire should take place as soon as possible, but we need a ceasefire that is durable, sustainable, and not time limited,” he said, hours after Israel sent ground troops into the coastal Palestinian territory.

The eight-day military offensive, aimed at halting militant rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, has killed an estimated 460 Palestinians, Gaza medics say.

“The United States is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation and the protection of innocents,” McCormack said.

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