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              Israel Advances on Hamas Targets in Ground Offensive

   by VOA News

   Israel's ground operation in the Gaza Strip continued into its third
   day Saturday.

   Israel says its ground offensive is aimed at destroying tunnels used by
   Hamas fighters.

   Israel's military says it has hit some 200 terrorist targets since the
   operation began late Thursday, including more than 20 tunnels used to
   infiltrate Israel and smuggle weapons and explosives. The military says
   more than 20 militants have been killed in the offensive.

   During the incursion, Palestinian militants have continued to fire a
   barrage of rockets into Israel.  Many of the rockets were shot down by
   Israel's Iron Dome missile-defense shield.

   Late Friday, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting to
   discuss the Gaza crisis.

   Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said Israel is committing war crimes
   and human rights violations against the Palestinian people.  Israeli
   U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor said Israel was left with no choice but to
   launch its offensive into Gaza, saying the goal is to degrade Hamas'
   terror capabilities.  He said Hamas has "rejected every overture to
   restore the quiet."

   A U.N. official, Jeff Feltman, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will
   travel to the Middle East Saturday to help mediate the conflict between
   Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.  The official did not
   say specifically where Mr. Ban will go.

   Palestinian officials say more than 300 Palestinians, including women
   and children, have died since July 8 when Israel expanded its
   airstrikes in Gaza in an attempt to stop rocket fire into Israel.

   Two Israelis have died. The Israeli military says a soldier was killed
   in an apparent friendly fire incident and a civilian was killed in a
   rocket attack.

   US reaction

   On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama said he told Israeli Prime
   Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that "no nation should accept rockets being
   fired into its borders."

   Obama said he made clear during a phone conversation with  Netanyahu
   that he understands the ground operation is limited to destroying
   tunnels Hamas militants use to attack Israel.

   "We are hopeful that Israel will continue to approach this process in a
   way that minimizes civilian casualties and that all of us are working
   hard to return to the cease-fire that was reached in November of 2012,"
   he said.

   Netanyahu said Friday he was prepared to "significantly widen" the
   offensive, which appeared to be more limited than Israel's 2008 and
   2009 operation when about 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were
   killed.

   Hamas has proposed a multi-year truce that includes demands such as
   lifting the long-standing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, opening
   air, sea and land entries into Gaza, and the release of Palestinian
   prisoners arrested by Israel last month in the West Bank.

   Israel has been pushing for an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that calls
   for a "cessation of hostilities" in exchange for an increased movement
   of people and goods between Gaza and Israel.  Hamas has rejected the
   plan, saying the offer amounts to a surrender.

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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/israel-advances-on-hamas-targets-in-ground-offensive/1960999.html