Gaza Update

From Fox News:

Israeli forces consolidated their hold on parts of the Gaza Strip on Monday, seizing three high-rise buildings on the outskirts of the territory's biggest city as militants pummeled southern Israel with rockets.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the offensive would continue until Israel achieved "peace and tranquility" for residents of southern Israel who continued to be bombarded by Palestinian rocket and mortar fire.

Militants, defying the attacks, fired two dozen rockets at Israel by midday and Gaza's Hamas strongman urged Palestinians to "crush" the invading Israeli forces and target Israeli civilians.

A stream of diplomats and world leaders hoping to end the violence headed for the region to meet with Israeli leaders as world outrage over ballooning Palestinian casualties mounted. Gaza health officials reported 524 dead and nearly 2,000 wounded since Israel embarked upon its military campaign against Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers on Dec. 27. At least 200 civilians were among the dead.

From CNN:

Hamas rocket fire into southern Israel persisted Monday despite a now 10-day military campaign by Israel in Gaza which Palestinian sources say has resulted in over 500 deaths.

Thirty targets were hit overnight in Gaza, according to the Israeli military, including an underground munitions bunker and what it said was a mosque that was used to store a large amount of weapons. A number of militants are known to have been killed when a rocket launcher was destroyed, a military spokesman said, but no number was given.

Israel Defense Forces also said it targeted tunnels that Hamas has used for moving weapons into Gaza under the border from Egypt. The Israeli navy also shelled targets in Gaza. Israeli police and ambulance services said at least 16 rockets had been fired into Israeli territory Monday morning.

"After all this overnight pounding that we've heard ... continuing gun battles ... the warning sirens sounded in the town nearby here," CNN's Nic Robertson reported Monday. "That was an indication that a rocket was being fired out by Hamas into Israel and the rocket landed on the hillside a little bit away from where we are ..."

Israeli helicopter gunships are patrolling the Israeli-Gaza border, Robertson reported.

More to follow:

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