Israeli forces tightened their hold on the outskirts of Gaza City on Tuesday as United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon pressed for a truce between Israel and Hamas. In clashes on the edges of the city, Israeli forces killed 12 gunmen, some of them Hamas members, medical workers said, according to Reuters.
"We are tightening the encirclement of the city," Brigadier General Eyal Eisenberg told reporters touring Israeli positions.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban was heading to the region for a week of talks with leaders in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Syria aimed at ending the battles. "My message is simple, direct, and to the point: the fighting must stop. To both sides, I say: Just stop now," Ban told reporters before his departure.
Hamas said its forces detonated explosives beneath Israeli armor and fought with Israeli forces backed by helicopter gunships and naval fire. Blasts set off by bombs and the sounds of heavy machine gun fire echoed continuously through the city of Gaza.
Israel aircraft attacked 60 targets, including tunnels used to smuggle arms across the border from Egypt, weapons-making facilities and Hamas command posts, the military said. Two rockets hit the Israeli city of Beersheva, causing no casualites.
Palestinian medical officials said at least 925 people have died since Israel launced its offensive on Dec. 27.
