Israeli Troops Enter Urban Zones in Gaza in Major Clashes With Hamas

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Israeli Troops Enter Urban Zones in Gaza in Major Clashes With Hamas

Israeli Troops Enter Urban Zones in Gaza in Major Clashes With Hamas

Israeli troops engaged in major clashes with Hamas gunmen in northern Gaza Monday night, marking Israel's first incursion into Gaza's densely populated urban centers as air support and artillery shelling backed up the ground troops.

Israel's Channel Two reported that at least 100 armed Palestinians were killed in gunbattles with Israeli troops by Monday evening, and Israeli infantry units continued to exchange heavy fire with armed Palestinians as they moved deeper into Gaza, Haaretz reported.

Israel seized control of high-rise buildings and attacked houses, mosques and smuggling tunnels in the 10th day of its assault on Gaza, cutting its main highway in two to stop the flow of supplies to Hamas as civilian casualties continued to mount.

A stream of European leaders headed to the region Monday to push for a cease-fire as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joined in the expanding efforts to develop a truce.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Rice was pursuing a three-tiered cease-fire agreement that would halt Hamas' rocket fire from Gaza, arrange the reopening of crossing points into Israel and address the issue of smuggling tunnels that Hamas uses to carry weapons into Gaza from Egypt.