Israel pushes deep into Gaza

Dubai: Israel forces on Monday pressed on with assaults against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as France led diplomatic efforts for a truce.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was expected to arrive in the region on Monday, while a Hamas delegation is holding talks in Egypt.

Ground combat continued in Gaza, with the Palestinian death toll at more than 500. Forty-two, most civilians were killed on Sunday, a medical source said.

Israeli media said Israeli troops were searching house-to-house in parts of Gaza for Hamas suspects.

Israel Radio reported gun battles between Israeli and Hamas fighters in the streets of Gaza City.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had recalled his special Mideast envoy for briefings, adding he was worried about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israel said about 80 trucks with humanitarian supplies would be sent to Gaza, in addition to some fuel, and several busloads of foreigners would be permitted to leave Gaza on Monday.

On Sunday, Israeli ground forces fought pitched battles with Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip as scores of Israeli tanks penetrated deep inside Gaza a day after the Jewish state invaded the Palestinian territory.

Hamas separately claimed it had captured two Israeli soldiers during the ground offensive.

A foreign Red Crescent doctor said: "Civilians are being killed ... shells are severing people's legs, shrapnel is going into people's bodies and into people's homes, a lot of people are being cut down. Everyone is terrified."

Arab League call

In Cairo, Arab League chief Amr Mousa accused the Security Council of "ignoring" Israel's onslaught on Gaza and said the delay in agreeing on a resolution was proof of failure to handle the conflict.

The concerns came as Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said the Gaza operation "will be expanded and intensified as much as necessary" and claimed the Jewish state had global backing for its campaign.

Hamas has called on all Palestinian factions to meet for reconciliation dialogue, a senior official in the top echelon of Hamas said on Sunday.

Speaking to Gulf News Mousa Abu Marzouk said Hamas has offered an initiative that aims to reach "national unity for the sake of facing the Zionist enemy".

With input from agencies