Israel Presses Ground Operations

Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.

Israel pressed on with its offensive in and around Gaza's main cities on Friday, more than two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has claimed thousands of lives and left the Palestinian territory in ruins.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed deep alarm over the intensifying Israel-Hamas conflict, including expansion of ground operations by the Israel army.

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel today continued to bombard Gaza as its troops pressed into the enclave with a ground assault.

Israeli forces waged ground operations against Hamas in Gaza on Sunday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the second phase of a three-week-old war aimed at crushing the Palestinian group.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday that there was the potential for thousands more civilians to die as Israel presses a ground operation in Gaza.

Israel-Hamas fighting looked headed for escalation after US Secretary of State John Kerry failed Friday to broker a weeklong truce as a first step toward a broader deal and Israel's defense minister warned Israel might soon expand its Gaza ground operation "significantly."

An Israeli defense official says the Security Cabinet is meeting to discuss international cease-fire efforts, but is also exploring the option of expanding its eight-day-old ground operation in Gaza.

Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.

Israel pressed on with its offensive in and around Gaza's main cities on Friday, more than two months after Hamas's deadly attack sparked a war that has claimed thousands of lives and left the Palestinian territory in ruins.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed deep alarm over the intensifying Israel-Hamas conflict, including expansion of ground operations by the Israel army.

Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel today continued to bombard Gaza as its troops pressed into the enclave with a ground assault.

Israeli forces waged ground operations against Hamas in Gaza on Sunday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the second phase of a three-week-old war aimed at crushing the Palestinian group.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned on Saturday that there was the potential for thousands more civilians to die as Israel presses a ground operation in Gaza.

Israel-Hamas fighting looked headed for escalation after US Secretary of State John Kerry failed Friday to broker a weeklong truce as a first step toward a broader deal and Israel's defense minister warned Israel might soon expand its Gaza ground operation "significantly."

An Israeli defense official says the Security Cabinet is meeting to discuss international cease-fire efforts, but is also exploring the option of expanding its eight-day-old ground operation in Gaza.