Israeli ready to mount Gaza ground offensive in days

Gaza City: More than 15 per cent of the victims of Israel's barbaric bombardment of Gaza are children, like 10-year-old Esmail Hamdan and his two sisters.

Or like Eyad, Mohammad and Abdul Sattar Al Astal, all brothers aged between 7 and 10, who died on Friday in an Israeli missile strike while they were playing near their home in Khan Younis.

More than 40 raids were carried out in the overcrowded enclave on Friday. Since Israel unleashed its air and sea campaign, at least 430 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed and 2,250 others wounded, according to Gaza medics.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with ministers as troops waited on the border where a ground offensive is expected to start within days. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the US was working on brokering a "durable" ceasefire.

Esmail succumbed to his injuries after being hit by a missile while running an errand for his mother near their home in Beit Hanoun. His sisters 5-year-old Lama and 12-year-old Haya were declared dead on arrival in hospital, but Esmail still had a faint heartbeat. Dr Ebrahim Abu Ghazala treated fractures in each of Esmail's limbs, removed damaged portions of his liver and pancreas and feared if the boy survived he would have massive brain damage. He died on the operating table.

- Bilal Badwan is a freelance journalist based in Gaza.