The fighting left at least 27 Palestinians dead, according to medical officials in Gaza. There was no immediate report of Israeli casualties.
Meanwhile , Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared that Israel is "close" to achieving its goals, but is not there yet.
"Israel is getting close to achieving the goals it set for itself," he told his cabinet during their weekly meeting. He added: "But patience, determination and effort are still needed to realize these goals in a manner that will change the security situation in the south."
Israel has said that it intends to eliminate or vastly reduce Palestinian rocket fire into southern Israel. The rockets continued to fly Sunday, with two landing in the city of Beersheba, 25 miles ( 40 km) from Gaza, although no major injuries were reported.
The Palestinian death toll has risen to 880 and another 3700 wounded.
The hopes that the 1860 UN security council resolution would end two weeks of fighting in the Gaza Strip have turned into a nightmare as both Israel and Hamas seem to be determined to eliminate one another...sadly we should expect many more Palestinian civilian deaths as Israel pushes deeper into Gaza and as Hamas fighters use the civilians as human shields. The percentage of civilian deaths amongst the Palestinians has almost doubled ever since Israel invaded Gaza; current estimates put the civilian deaths amongst the Palestinians at 50% . Israel so far has lost 13 including 4 civilians.
Monday
07:14 Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon airspace over Rachayya , western Beqaa last night
06:56 Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's campaign for relief aid to Palestinians in Gaza will be launched today . It is called the Saudi relief bridge . Trucks will be loaded in the Saudi capital , Riyadh, and will transport the relief material to Gaza via Egypt. The relief materials includes food, medicines , medical equipment and clothing
06:47 president Suleiman postponed the national dialogue talks session from Jan 22 to Jan 26
06:02 Jumblatt told As safir : Arslan suggested a meeting between me and Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad and I told him I have no objection
05:15 Future TV sources: The talks between Egypt and Hamas over the Egyptian initiative ended after 5 hours without an agreement . The sticking point continues to be the International force along the border of Gaza and Egypt . Hamas informed Egypt that it rejects the presence of International forces . Representing Hamas were Ayman Taha, Jamal abu Hashem and Salah Bardawil and 2 consultants Emad el Alelmi and Mohammad Nasr . The talks will resume today in Cairo after Hamas representatives consult with the leadership in Damascus and Gaza .
5:07 Egyptian source told Future TV: we are moving closer to an agreement on the deployment of Turkish troops on the Palestinian side of the Gaza Strip border with Egypt.
4:46 Qatar refuses to be the only Arab country that will close the Israeli office
4:37 The UN separating force ( between Syria and occupied Golan ) has started investigating the shooting incident across the Syrian/ Israeli occupied Golan border
4:27 Egypt is ready to receive the injured Palestinians and Bahrain pledged to build a school in Gaza Strip
3:42 German Foreign Minister : You must accept the emergence of new super powers . Called on Obama to reform NATO
3:10 Iraqi MPs called for the use of Iraqi oil as a weapon and to expel the Israeli ambassadors
3:02 Kouchner: France has been working on 3 fronts for a cease-fire in Gaza
2:43"Kuwaiti al Seyasseh ": MP Misbah Al-Ahdab said that there are reports of training of young people on assassinations and sniper attacks in the security quarters ( Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut ) .
2:42 Lebanese security sources denied the arrest of Hamas 7 members in connection with the fired rockets
2:37 "Future TV": renewed clashes in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza.
2:19 "Kuwaiti al Seyasseh ": Israel has accused Rice of working behind the back" on the implementation of UN resolution 1860
2:07 Israel kills Amir Mansi the Hamas commander of the Grad missiles and recognizes the impossibility of stopping the firing of rockets
2:04 "Arabiyeh ": the fighting is very heavy 1 1/2 km ( 1 mile ) from Gaza City
2:01 "Al Jazeera": Israeli forces advancing towards the Zeitoun neighborhood.
2:01
"Arabiyeh ": heavy fighting in Gaza Tel el Rayes neighborhood.
1:56The "Kuwaiti al Seyasseh ": Tehran is using front companies in the Gulf to import U.S. military technology
1:35 "al Arabiyeh ": artillery bombardment of the area between the district of al-Tuffah and the Jabalya refugee camp.
1:32 "al Arabiyeh ": clashes in the Zeitoun neighborhood and Nuseirat, and Israeli aircraft intensified their flights over Gaza.
1:27 "al Arabiyeh ": heavy Israeli shelling in northern Gaza Strip.
1:07 "al Arabiyeh ": intense Israeli shelling in the Zeitoun neighborhood in east Gaza.
0:48 "al Arabiyeh ": Violent clashes in the Zeitoun neighborhood between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops.
0:47 "Ilaf": Syria and the United States are far apart
0:17 "Arabiyeh ": intense bombing in eastern Gaza.
0:14 Spokesman for the IDF: reserve troops began fighting in the Gaza Strip, along with regular units.
0:12
"al Arabiyeh ": al-Qassam Brigades are targeting Israeli force east of Jabalya.
0:10 "Arabiyeh ": trucks loaded with aid will come today to the Gaza sector.
0:07 Obama will close the Guantanamo Bay camp and will prosecute officials in the Bush administration
0:04 "Arabiyeh ": continuous clashes east of Jabalya.
Sunday
23:51"Arab": continued air and artillery bombardment of Gaza and the flight of an intensive Israeli air.
23:50 Obama has a panel ready to deal with the Middle East as soon as he assumes power, said Iran is the greatest challenges
23:19 "al Arabiyeh ": armed clashes the east of Jabalya.
23:14 "al Arabiyeh ": an intensive Israeli bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip.
23:00 Hamas representative, Osama Hamdan: we rejected some of the points in the initiative and not the entire initiative and the debate is still under way on the sticking points. The issue of the Rafah crossing and the international forces are the main points of discussion. Hamas has already notified Egypt about our reservation over the issue of the international forces
22:51 sixty Palestinians were killed Sunday in Gaza
22:38 Russian FM Lavrov confirms to Egyptian counterpart Abu Gheith that Russia is continuing with its efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza
22:31 Israeli minister of Interior security : Hamas is responsible for the killing of civilians and children because they are using them as human shields
22:24 Bush : Obama has to think of ways to combat terrorism
22:13 Al Jazeera an Appachi helicopter bombed targets in east Gaza
22:01 Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace , they flew at very low elevation over Rachayya and western Beqaa
20:40 Egypt summoned the Israeli ambassador in Cairo to notify him of the importance an immediate ceasefire and of the acceptance of the Egyptian initiative
20:45 NATO: We have no plans for a peacekeeping force to supervise a Gaza cease-fire.
20:34 Al Manar : Israeli president Peres said the war could last few more days
20:32 40 woundeed Palestinians were taken from Gaza thru Rafah crossing to Egypt for treatment at the Egyptian hospitals
20:18 Israel started sending its reserve soldiers to Gaza
20:16 Al Jazeera: Al Qassem brigades claim they shot down an Israeli helicopter.
20:12 The Italian UNIFIL forces in south Lebanon arrested 2 cleaning workers who were trying to smuggle explosives to its command headquarters
20:05 Syrian FM Mouallem does not believe that the war in Gaza will expand into Lebanon and Syria
20:06 Amnesty International said evidence is available about Israel's War Crimes in Gaza.
20:07 Israeli President Shimon Peres: Gaza offensive likely to continue for at least few more days.
20:04 Italian Defense Minister: The anti-Israel demonstrations should not be inflammatory.
20:03 Future TV: The agreement in Cairo: calls for a cease-fire , opening the crossings , Israeli withdrawal from Gaza the deployment of Turkish observers on the border with Egypt, the Palestinian side.
20:01 Future TV: : an agreement was reached in Cairo on the situation in Gaza.
19:50 MP Ali Hassan Khalil : "the survival of the resistance ( Hamas ) is itself a victory over the Israeli aggression . Israel in Gaza is targeting the Palestinian issue and the spirit of the Israeli resistance
18:56 a meetings is taking place between Israeli Foreign Minister Livni and secretary General of NATO over preventing smuggling of arms by Hamas into Gaza
18:49 Israel allows 100 trucks that bringing aid to Gaza residents to cross via Karm Abu Salem crossing
18:47 Al Arabiyeh : Israel airstrikes targeting the ministry of education in Gaza
18:43 Al Arabiyeh : Israel airstrikes targeting many places in Gaza
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18:40 EU parliamentary delegation crosses into Gaza to evaluate the Humanitarian situation
18:26 Israel: Hamas leaders are hiding inside hospitals and foreign missions
18:14 Palestinians killed in Gaza airstrikes today
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18:08 Al Jazeera : Several rockets from Gaza landed in south Israel today
18:02 An explosion of a Shiite Mosque in Kuwait results in casualties
17:49 Israeli army claims that it had destroyed tens of underground tunnels under the crossings
17:37 Al Jazeera: 3 Egyptians were hit when Israel raided the border area between Gaza and Egypt
17:34 Israeli radio : The firing from Syria on Israeli soldiers in Golan was either done by a Palestinian faction or it was an individual act
17:28 The Israeli army has filed a complaint with the UN over the firing from Syria on Israeli soldiers in Golan
17:26 Al Arabiyeh : No casualties reported as a result of the shooting from Syria on Israeli soldiers in Golan
17:20 Al Arabiyeh : ligh weapons were used in the shooting from Syria on Israeli soldiers in Golan
17:16 Israel: a civilian car in northern Israel was hit by the firing from Syria on Israeli soldiers in Golan
17:06 Haaretz: Israeli workers come under fire near Israeli-Syrian border.
16:12 Israel carries out air strikes on Rafah, near the Gaza-Egyptian border.
15:33 Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said in a press conference in Jerusalem: We will continue military offensive against Hamas, there is no timeframe for the offensive.
15:25 The Israeli cabinet decides to continue its military operations in the Gaza Strip
15:15 Qatar calls for an Arab ministerial meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza.
14:30 al-Arabiya: Israeli air force: Hamas is using anti-aircraft missiles.
14:24 Saraya al-Quds spokesperson to Al-Jazeera: We will not accept the presence of international observers.
14:00 Hezbollah’s deputy chief Naim Qassem: The Resistance in Lebanon is strong and Lebanon will revolt against American schemes.
13:45 Deputy defense minister says Israel close to ending operations in Gaza
13:39 Future News reports that the Hamas delegation agreed with Egyptian Intelligence Services Chief Omar Sleiman to deploy a Turkish monitoring team on the Gaza-Egyptian border.
12:10 Israel continues air strikes on southern Gaza, near the Egyptian border.
11:21 Death toll in Gaza stands at 875 Palestinians killed and 3695 wounded, according to AFP.
11:20 Hamas tries to understand Egyptian initiative, says official
11:06 Ezzeddine: Hezbollah has no interest in a second front
11:05 Al-Arabiya says Israel will halt its offensive on Gaza from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. today instead of 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.
10:45 Barak: Israel continues offensive while examining diplomatic channels
10:43 Olmert: Israel is nearing its goals, but will continue Gaza offensive
10:25 IDF soldiers kill six Palestinians, including four children, in northern Gaza and ten bodies were recovered in southwest Gaza.
09:55 Al-Arabiya: A Hamas delegation meets Egyptian Intelligence Services Chief Major General Omar Sleiman, as well as with a Turkish delegation.
10:00 Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir during his Sunday sermon: We should unite and put aside our differences in order to keep the Gaza blaze away from our territories.
09:40 Cabinet minister Jean Ogassapian told Future TV: Lebanon is not ready to go to war and Lebanon is not a site for launching rockets at Israel. There is Lebanese consensus against the war. We should not feel very secure, however.
09:40 Reuters reports that IDF soldiers killed ten armed Palestinians in clashes in Gaza.
09:35 Al-Arabiya reports Israeli security cabinet convenes to assess the situation in Gaza.
09:24 Israeli troops go deeper into Gaza, death toll continues to rise
0:16 Al Arabiyeh: many were killed or wounded by the Israeli airstrikes over Khaza'at
0:16 Majority sources told el Syassah : It is no longer possible to remain quiet over the issue of the Palestinian arms
0:05 Al Arabiyeh: The Israeli airstijes ove Gaza caused a urge fire that delayed the evacuation of the wounded
Saturday
23:57 Al Arabiyeh:the airstrike killed one women and another 30 were wounded
23:08 Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmad told Al- Arabiyeh ": we must move away from the unrealistic slogans in order to be all united . The schism between the West Bank and Gaza Strip has prevented the implementation of the agreement on the crossings.
22:12 Chief editor of the Lebanese Forces web site Tony Abi-Najm told New TV: We have reached a dead end and no solution on the horizon to end the massacres in Gaza . Both Hamas and Israel's Political parties are working for political gain and the position of Hamas reflected the positions of Syria and Iran.. President Assad should immediately call for an Arab summit . The Arabs should do something ..the resistance of Hamas is fine , but lets be realistic , there is a blood bath going on in Gaza and this should be stopped. Why did the rejection of 1860 come from Hamas first ?
22:20 Israeli military claims that 550 Palestinian fighters killed in Gaza since the start of the military operation on December 27
22:06 A Lebanese security source denied the army made arrests related to rocket launch. Source confirmed that the Lebanese army “is continuing with its investigations to find out who launched the rockets.”
21:35 Over 850 Palestinians killed in two-week Israeli offensive
21:30 Damascus-based Hamas leader , Khaled Meshaal, said he was confident that “the resistance in Gaza is in good shape and it will win. “The war on Gaza is a war waged on the Palestinian cause and on the Arab nation,” Meshaal said. Meshaal criticized UN Security Council Resolution 1860, saying that those who demanded its implementation were the same people who were behind Israel’s aggression.
20:50 Gaza, the Israeli army planes are raining the Gaza strip with flyers announcing Israeli intention of expanding its military activities
20:40 Iranian president Ahmadinejad wants to move the United Nations from New York and said he is ready to find a suitable location
20:39 Israeli military spokesman: 12 Israeli soldiers have been injured in military operations in Gaza since Friday night.
20:38 Hamas official Sami Abu Zahri: We reject Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas drawing a link between the Egyptian peace initiative and UNSCR 1860, because any connection harms the Egyptian initiative.
20:00 Hamas’ Representative in Lebanon Mustafa Hamdan told al-Arabiyeh TV: Deployment of international forces in Gaza should take place only within the context of an end to Israeli occupation. He added : We will not accept any proposal being imposed on us under fire
19:50 Hanan Ashrawi told al-Arabiyeh TV: The offensive on Gaza is not an assault on Hamas but on all the Palestinians.
19:40 Israeli troops killed Amir Mansi, senior Hamas fighter in Gaza City who supervised the firing of long-range rockets. He also commanded a cell in Gaza City that had fired dozens of rockets on southern Israel.
18:52 Haaretz: Six Israeli soldiers injured as Hamas rockets hit a military base in the west Naqab
18:33 Bush told Turkish President Abdullah Gul that a lasting ceasefire in Gaza required an end to rocket fire into Israel and arms smuggling by Hamas.
18:12 Hamas launched six Grad rockets on the southern Israeli city of Asqalan, which injured 14 people
18:10 Al-Jazeera: Israeli ground forces attempt to enter some Gaza City neighborhoods but are confronted by violent resistance. Hamas has continued launching rockets on Israeli territories.
17:37 U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution by a majority of 390-5 backing Israel in fight against Hamas in Gaza. On Thursday, the US Senate passed a similar measure, saying Israel had an "inalienable right" to defend itself from rocket attacks by Hamas.
17:18 Israel forces shelling Jabalya district . power blackout throughout Gaza Strip
17:10 al-Jazeera: Al-Aqsa Brigades and Quds Brigades attack Israeli forces east of Jabalya.
17:09 "al Arabiyeh ": Israel revealed that 14 of its soldiers were wounded in clashes today
17: 00 al-Arabiya: Israeli air raid targeted a leader of Qassam Brigades east of Gaza.
16:57 continuous Israeli shelling of the Gaza Strip
16:55 Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said Hezbollah is ready and prepared to confront any Israeli stupidity: “Hezbollah’s level of readiness is greater than the enemy’s imagination and they have tried us in the July War,” he said and added : “We have the wisdom to act calmly ,but we will not accept becoming a target for anyone.”
Tags: Gaza, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Palestinians, Syria
