The Israeli army said on Sunday that 30 of its soldiers have been injured in the ground offensive it launched in the Gaza Strip. Issuing its first casualty report since tanks and infantry entered the Hamas-controlled territory on Saturday, the Israeli army confirmed two of the 30 wounded had suffered serious injuries.
Palestinian medical officials said Israeli ground forces had killed eight Gazans, five of them gunmen. "During exchanges of fire overnight, dozens of armed Hamas operatives were hit," an Israeli military communique said.
At least 470 Palestinians were killed in the current conflict. Another 2,050 Palestinians have been wounded.
At the United Nations, the United States thwarted an effort by Libya to persuade the Security Council to call for an immediate ceasefire, diplomats said. The U.N. Security Council held a special meeting to discuss the latest developments. Several council diplomats said the U.S. refusal to back the Libyan-drafted demand for an immediate truce had killed the initiative, since council statements must be passed unanimously.
