Israel widened its deadliest-ever air offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers, targeting a house next to the Hamas premier's home early Monday after pounding smuggling tunnels and government buildings, sending more tanks toward the Gaza border and approving the call-up of thousands of reserve soldiers for a possible ground invasion.
Israeli leaders said they would press ahead with the Gaza campaign, despite international criticism and enraged protests across the Arab world. Israel's foreign minister said the goal was to permanently halt the barrages of rocket fire from Gaza that have targeted civilians in growing swaths of Israel's south, but not to reoccupy the Palestinian territory. (20 images)
Israeli leaders said they would press ahead with the Gaza campaign, despite international criticism and enraged protests across the Arab world. Israel's foreign minister said the goal was to permanently halt the barrages of rocket fire from Gaza that have targeted civilians in growing swaths of Israel's south, but not to reoccupy the Palestinian territory. (20 images)
Palestinian prisoners flee over the rubble of the central security headquarters and prison, after it was hit in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City, Sunday, Dec. 28. Some 280 Palestinians have been killed and 600 people wounded since Israel's campaign to quash rocket barrages from Gaza began midday Saturday, a Gaza health official said. Most of the dead were Hamas police. AP / Adel Hana
Palestinians gather in the crater of an Israeli missile strike on a building used by the Islamic group Hamas in Gaza City, Sunday, Dec. 28. More than 270 Palestinians, have been killed and more than 600 people wounded since Israel's campaign to quash rocket barrages from Gaza began midday Saturday. AP / Khalil Hamra
A combo of images shows smoke and fire rising as Israeli bombs strike a target in the Gaza Strip during an air raid, as seen from the Israel-Gaza border on Dec. 27. Israel warned today that it could send ground troops into Gaza as its warplanes continued to pound Hamas targets in the overcrowded enclave, where more than 270 Palestinians have been killed. AFP / Getty Images / Marco Longari
Palestinian firefighters try to extinguish a burning building after an Israeli missile strike in the Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 28. Israeli warplanes pressing one of Israel's deadliest assaults ever on Palestinian militants dropped bombs and missiles on a top security installation and dozens of other targets across Hamas-ruled Gaza on Sunday. Israel's Cabinet authorized a callup of at least 6,500 reserve soldiers, suggesting plans to expand an offensive against Gaza rocket squads. AP / Eyad Baba
An injured Palestinian prisoner is helped as he and others flee through the rubble of the central security headquarters and prison, known as the Saraya, after it was hit in an Israeli missile strike in in Gaza City, Sunday, Dec. 28. AP / Adel Hana
An injured Palestinian prisoner reaches for help after being trapped in the rubble of the central security headquarters and prison, known as the Saraya, after it was hit in an Israeli missile strike, in Gaza City, Sunday, Dec. 28. AP / Majed Hamdan
Palestinians help a wounded woman in Gaza City following an Israeli air strike on Dec. 28. AFP / Getty Images / Yasser Saymeh
Palestinians inspect and salvage usable items from the rubble following an Israeli air strike on a Hamas police building in Gaza City on Dec. 28. AFP / Getty Images / Mohammed Abed
A Palestinian family rushes from the scene of an Israeli missile strike on a building in the Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, Dec. 28. Gazans cowered in their homes Sunday as Israeli warplanes pressing one of Israel's deadliest assaults ever on Palestinian militants unleashed missiles on weapons warehouses, a police station, the homes of militant field commanders and dozens of other targets across the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. AP / MaanImages / Hatem Omar
Palestinian medics carry a wounded woman following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Dec. 28. Israel warned today it could send ground troops into Gaza as its warplanes continued pounding Hamas targets inside the enclave where more than 270 Palestinians have been killed in just 24 hours. AFP / Getty Images / Mahmud Hams
A wounded Palestinian girl is carried into the Al-Shifa hospital on Dec. 28 in Gaza City, Gaza. On the second day of cross-border conflict, Israel's air force continued to launch attacks along the Gaza Strip, destroying many buildings belonging to Hamas, including holy mosques, civilian homes and vehicles, work shops, police compounds and a prison, increasing the number of Palestians killed to over 270. Getty Images / Abid Katib
A wounded Palestinian boy is carried by his father at a hospital following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Dec. 28. AFP / Getty Images / Mohammed Abed
A group of men carry a wounded Palestinian man to the Al-Shifa hospital on Dec. 28 in Gaza City, Gaza. Getty Images / Abid Katib
A Syrian beats a burning US flag with a shoe during a demonstration against the deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip in Damascus on Dec. 28. Thousands demonstrated the deadly Israel onslaught on the Gaza Strip today in the centre of Damascus. AFP / Getty Images / Louai Beshara
An Israeli border police officer fires a tear gas canister at Palestinian stone throwers during clashes erupted following a demonstration against the Israeli missiles strike on Gaza, at the Kalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem Sunday, Dec. 28. AP / Muhammed Muheisen
A Palestinian protester kneels behind a barricade as he uses a slingshot to hurl stones at Israeli troops, not seen, during clashes at a demonstration against Israel's military operation in Gaza, in the Shuafat refugee camp, on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Sunday, Dec. 28. AP / Dan Balilty
A Palestinian youth throws stones at Israeli forces during clashes in the Shoafat refugee camp in Jerusalem on Dec. 28. A Palestinian youth was killed today by Israeli fire in the north of the occupied West Bank during a protest against the deadly air bombardment of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, medics said. More than 280 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its air onslaught on Gaza yesterday in a bid to halt militant rocket and mortar fire. AFP / Getty Images / Ahmad Gharabli
Israeli army special forces are deployed on Dec. 28 at the Gaza Israel border. Getty Images / Uriel Sinai
Israeli soldiers stand next to tanks near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, Dec. 28. AP / Sebastian Scheiner
Palestinians children sit inside a car with its rear windscreen broken following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City on Dec. 28. AFP / Getty Images / Mahmud Hams
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