Source: Press TV, 05-01-2009
"Israeli" tanks have been halted in the Gazan towns of Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Zeitoun amid a full-scale ground incursion into the strip.
On the third day of its ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, "Israeli" tanks were brought to a halt in Jabaliya, Beit Hanoun and Zeitoun. "Israel" has managed to station its forces in Hay al-Zeitoun district and has thus split the strip into a northern and southern part.
"Israeli" ground forces have also entered Rafah city in the south of the Gaza Strip and have been striving to cut Gaza from Egypt.
This comes as, according to IRIB, Palestinian fighters have announced that they had destroyed seven "Israeli" Merkava tanks and an "Israeli" helicopter flying over the territory on Sunday.
According to Al-Aqsa television, the Palestinians have also been able to hit a major "Israeli" military base in the Salim region of "Israel".
The "Israeli" army has reportedly failed to capture areas where Qassam rockets have been fired from.
In the latest development on Monday, an "Israeli" tank shell killed three children in their home in eastern Gaza City, medical officials have confirmed.
They said several other Palestinians were wounded in the incident in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza.
On Monday, Hamas fighters fired more rockets into "Israeli" cities despite the intensified air and ground strikes on the impoverished strip.
An "Israeli" officer and five soldiers were also wounded early Monday in eastern Gaza in ongoing clashes between "Israeli" forces and Hamas fighters.
"Israeli" Staff Sergeant Dvir Emanueloff was among the "Israelis" killed in action in previous clashes on Sunday.
According to the reports, at least 40 "Israeli" soldiers have been either killed or wounded during the clashes since Saturday.
"Israeli" infantry backed by Merkava tanks and Apache helicopters poured into Gaza late on Saturday after eight days of deadly air strikes.
The troops clashed with Hamas fighters and fierce battles raged in four spots in the north, around Gaza City, Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabaliya.
While "Israel" says the operation is aimed at stopping rocket attacks on its communities, Hamas asserts that its attacks are carried out in retaliation for the "Israeli" pressure and blocked imposed on the strip -- home to 1.5 million Palestinians.
Hamas began launching rocket attacks against "Israel" after Tel Aviv violated a six-month ceasefire with the Palestinian movement.
So far the aggression has killed over 528 Palestinians, many of whom are women and children. More than 2,500 others have been wounded and many are feared to be under the rubble.