Gaza City/TelAviv - Israeli soldiers fought heavy battles with local militants early Tuesday as ground troops on Gaza City's outskirts pushed even further into the city's southern neighbourhoods on the 18th day of Israel's assault against militants in the salient. Witnesses also reported intense fighting in the city's eastern and northern outskirts, with Israeli troops apparently trying to draw militants out from their well-prepared and heavily fortified positions inside the built-up areas.
An Israeli officer was seriously injured and two soldiers lightly injured in a blast caused by a booby trap device during a house search, an Israeli military spokesman said.
According to the army, 30 Palestinian militants were hit in the clashes and by early afternoon some 8 rockets and mortars had been fired into Israel.
Israel Defence Force (IDF) Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Tuesday that the military would intensify its attacks on militants, and would also try to reduce the rocket fire from the salient on southern Israeli towns and villages.
"The work is still ahead of us," he said during a rare appearance before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.
"The fighting is complex... we are following the IDF's plans and are acting in accordance with the political echelon," Lieutenant-General Ashkenazi said.
As in previous days of fighting, a three-hour humanitarian lull took place Tuesday to allow Gaza civilians to replenish supplies, and allow first aid workers to retrieve people trapped under the rubble in Gaza.
An Israel defence ministry spokesman accused Hamas of directing small-arms fire at Israeli troops during the lull. He said that 109 truck carrying relief supplies, including fuel for the Gaza power station, were scheduled to pass into the Strip during the day.
In the overnight fighting, Israeli aircraft carried out dozens of attacks, most of them to provide air support to the ground troops against Palestinian militants confronting them.
A total of 60 targets were struck, including more smuggling tunnels and a hotel in the north of the strip in which militants had gathered and were planning to carry out a shooting against the ground troops, he said.
The fighting around Gaza City intensified, as international efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the Gaza crisis continued.
The UN Security Council - whose resolution of Thursday calling for an immediate ceasefire has thus far not been heeded - was scheduled to meet again in New York Tuesday.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was also set to travel to the region Tuesday for direct talks with the parties.
He was scheduled to make stops in Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Kuwait.
Ismail Haniya of Hamas, the de-facto prime minister in Gaza, emerged in a prerecorded televised address from his hideout for the second time since Israel's Gaza offensive began December 27, saying his movement was willing to cooperate on any initiative that would "end the aggression against our people."
He mentioned an Israeli withdrawal and the full opening of border crossings as conditions. Gaza will not break and "victory" is near, Haniya vowed.
The Palestinian toll of the offensive - launched to end more than seven years of such rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza at southern Israel - stands at at least 919 killed and more than 4,300 wounded. Thirteen Israelis have been killed.
