Air strikes smash Hamas leader’s headquarters
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel destroyed the headquarters of Hamas’ prime minister and blasted a sprawling network of smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, broadening a blistering 4-day-old offensive against the Islamic militant group even as diplomatic efforts to broker a cease-fire appeared to be gaining steam.
In neighboring Egypt, President Mohammed Morsi hosted leaders from Hamas and two key allies, Qatar and Turkey, to seek a way to end the fighting. He said he was also working with the United States, Russia and Western European countries to halt the fighting.
Israel launched the operation on Wednesday in what it said was an effort to end months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory. It began the offensive with an unexpected air strike that killed Hamas’ powerful military chief, Ahmed Jabari, and since then has relentlessly targeted suspected rocket launchers and storage sites.
In all, 48 Palestinians, including 15 civilians, have been killed and more than 400 civilians wounded, according to medical officials. Three Israeli civilians have been killed and more than 50 wounded.
Israeli military officials expressed satisfaction with their progress Saturday, claiming they have inflicted heavy damage to Hamas.
“Most of their capabilities have been destroyed,” said Maj. Gen. Tal Russo, Israel’s southern commander. Asked whether Israel is ready to send ground troops into Gaza, he said: “Absolutely.”
The United States has solidly backed Israel so far. Speaking on Air Force One, deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said that the White House believes Israel “has the right to defend itself” against attack.
Despite the bruising offensive, Israel has failed to slow the barrages of rockets from Gaza. The Israeli military said 160 rockets were launched into Israel on Saturday, raising the total number to roughly 500 since fighting began last week. Eight Israelis, including five civilians, were lightly wounded Saturday, the army said.
Israel carried out at least 300 air strikes on Saturday, the military said, and it broadened its array of targets. One air raid flattened the threestory office building used by Hamas’ prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh. He was not inside the building at the time.
In southern Gaza, aircraft went after the tunnels that militants use to smuggle weapons and other contraband from neighboring Egypt. Tunnel operators said the intensity of the bombing was unprecedented, and that explosions could be heard miles away.
Hamas has unveiled an arsenal of more powerful, longer-range rockets this week, and for the first time has struck at Israel’s two largest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Both cities, more than 45 miles from Gaza, had previously been beyond rocket range.