We are tightening the encirclement of the city

Israeli ground forces were involved in fierce clashes with the Hamas as troops tightened their hold around Gaza city with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warning that the Islamic militants face an "IRON FIST". As the Israeli offensive against Hamas entered its 18th day, ground forces tightened their hold around the Gaza. Israeli military said troops were "tightening the encirclement of the city" as forces pushed deeper into the populated areas of the enclave where more than 900 Palestinians, nearly half of them women and children have killed. Ehud Olmert(Israeli PM) threatened to hit Hamas with an "iron fist" if it did not end the rocket attacks which Tel Aviv aims to end. Olmert said Israel's key demands were non-negotiable. "We want to end the operation when the two conditions we have demanded are met: ending the rocket fire and stopping Hamas's rearmament. If these two conditions are met, we will end our operation in Gaza," he said. "Anything else will meet the iron fist of the Israeli people, who are no longer ready to tolerate the Qassams (rockets)." Israeli military spokesman said nearly 30 missiles launched from Gaza yesterday, but no casualties were reported. "We are tightening the encirclement of the city," the offensive's commander, Brigadier Eyal Eisenberg, told reporters. "We are not static. We are careful to be constantly on the move." The defiant Hamas showed no signs of wavering. Gaza's Hamas prime minister said the the militants were "closer to victory." the fighting started on dec.27 and uptill today it has killed more than 900 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, 13 Israelis, including 10 soldiers killed. Israeli jets and attack helicopters pounded suspected Hamas positions in Gaza City, particularly the homes of the Islamic militant leadership. The strikes came as Israeli troops advanced into the highly-populated suburbs of Gaza City. Israeli forces clashed with Hamas fighters across the Gaza Strip after Tel Aviv poured reserve troops on Monday as it pushed deeper into the heavily populated coastal enclave in further escalation of the conflict. The fighting came amid continued diplomacy in Egypt, whose officials were talking with Hamas representatives about a possible truce. We can't figure out what going to haapen next.
The operation is ongoing, alongside our monitoring of diplomatic efforts. We heard on Monday, and we respect, the request by UN Secretary-General and we are also monitoring the treatment of the Egyptian initiative," Barak was quoted as saying by the Israeli daily Haaretz.


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