"Hamas has suffered many losses and has taken a harsh blow to its long-range firing capabilities -- and this on top of damage to its depots, production lines and to its militants' maneuvering abilities," Diskin said.
Israel, however, has not accelerated its ground advance deeply into Gaza City and other urban areas, where Hamas fighters, who know the geography and have reportedly booby-trapped passageways, probably would inflict higher casualties. There was heavy fighting Sunday in towns and neighborhoods at the edge of Gaza City, but Israel appeared to not push into the final phase of its assault.
"Israel is fighting a military war while Hamas is fighting a political war," said Mohammed Abdel Salam, a strategic analyst with Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. "Hamas is conducting very limited military operations that would allow it to survive until the Arab and international communities intervene. Hamas is using its huge civilian losses to pressure the Israelis and to embarrass all their Arab adversaries."
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jeffrey.fleishman@latimes.com
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Abu Alouf is a special correspondent. Special correspondents Ahmed Burai in the Gaza Strip and Fayed abu Shammaleh in Cairo and Noha El-Hennawy of The Times' Cairo Bureau contributed to this report.
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Israel hitting hard
Troops and tanks launch a three-pronged thrust into Gaza City. WORLD, A6
