万花筒 2009-01-17&01-19 哈马斯还能撑多久

（单词翻译）

Israel had warned of an escalation¹ and this could be the start of it: a new wave of assaults overnight and through the early morning, from the air, land, and sea.

Israeli television filmed on board a gunship as it fired shells towards what the IDF claims were Hamas targets on land.

It's hard to know what military capability² Hamas has left now after more than two weeks of this, but its rockets are still hitting Israeli communities, causing injuries and spreading terror, and its leaders are still vowing³ to fight on.

Khaled Mashal, Hamas's leader in exile, condemned⁴ Israel's offensive as a holocaust⁵. He said there would be no Hamas ceasefire until Israel stops its attacks and lifts the siege on Gaza.

There's no sign of that. Witnesses say Israel's ground offensive is intensifying⁶ around Gaza city—an indication that Phase 3 of this military offensive could be getting underway. That would take Israeli soldiers deeper into urban areas, putting them at greater risk, and all but guaranteeing more civilian⁷ casualties.

Close to 850 Palestinians have died. A third of them are thought to be children.

Emma Hurd, Sky News, Jerusalem.