JERUSALEM AND GAZA CITY — Israeli soldiers and tank columns bisected the Gaza Strip on Sunday, isolating its largest city amid fierce clashes on multiple fronts with militant fighters.
At least 35 Palestinians died in confrontations with Israeli troops and from missile strikes and artillery barrages, according to local medical sources. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since Dec. 27, when Israel began its current campaign against Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip. At least 2,000 Palestinians have been wounded.
In the face of mounting international calls for a cease-fire, including sharp criticism from the head of the United Nations, Israeli leaders pledged to continue their campaign to stop rocket launches by Gazan militants at southern Israeli cities and towns.
"This operation was unavoidable," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet on Sunday.
Olmert said the campaign, which started with a week of punishing airstrikes and escalated to a land incursion Saturday evening, was needed to "change the security reality in the south."
Despite the massive advantage of the Israeli military, which cut off heavily populated Gaza City, militant groups in the enclave managed to continue firing rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel. At least 40 rockets were launched Sunday, hitting cities and towns that included Ashkelon, Ashdod, Netivot and Ofakim. They caused widespread panic but only minor injuries, according to the Israeli army.
Although the homemade rockets are wildly inaccurate, Hamas has increased their range in recent weeks, and three Israeli civilians have been killed by projectiles launched from Gaza since the start of hostilities. Israeli officials say about 900,000 of their citizens are within range of the rocket fire and live in fear of sudden attack.
Throughout the Gaza Strip, the enclave's 1.5 million Palestinian residents for the most part huddled indoors for safety, most venturing out only to line up for dwindling supplies of bread and household goods.
Dr. Moawiya Hassanein of Gaza City's main Shifa Hospital said more than half the day's casualties were civilians, including a mother and her four children killed by an Israeli tank shell east of Gaza City. The militant casualty count was probably much higher, Hassanein said, but it was too risky for ambulances and rescue crews to approach the conflict zone.
