Israeli tanks and soldiers invade Gaza

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Israel launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, sending tanks and infantry into battle with Hamas fighters who have defied eight days of deadly air strikes with salvoes of rocket fire into Israeli towns.

Israeli tank fire killed three Gazans at the onset of the night-time invasion, bringing the Palestinian death toll since December 27 to nearly 450, medical officials said. Israel said the operation in the Hamas-run enclave could take "many long days."

Hamas said it killed several soldiers, but there was no Israeli confirmation as columns of tanks pushed into the coastal territory from four entry points.

Heavy casualties are likely to increase international pressure on Israel to halt its biggest operation in the Gaza Strip in four decades, fighting that holds significant political risks for Israeli leaders ahead of a February 10 national election.

The plight of the 1.5 million Palestinians crammed into Gaza was growing more desperate. People have taken shelter in their homes for days and humanitarian agencies warned that food, water and medical supplies were running short.

Several hours into the armoured offensive, Israeli tanks moved some two kilometres (1.2 miles) into the northern Gaza Strip, taking up positions in an area frequently used by militants to fire rockets across the border, witnesses said.

A Palestinian petrol station along the invasion route was engulfed in flames after being hit by a tank shell.

A spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, said Israeli troops faced certain death or capture.