01/04/09

* Gov't: We won't take over Gaza Strip After a cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv Sunday, the government stressed that Israel has no intention of taking over the Gaza Strip.

* Hamas: Gaza will be a graveyard for IDF troops Hamas spokesmen were quick to react to the entrance of IDF ground troops into the Gaza Strip on Saturday night, making threats and insisting that Israel would regret the decision to proceed with the expansion of the operation.

* Israeli troops clash with Hamas Israeli ground forces are battling Palestinian fighters in the Gaza Strip, after Israel intensified its operation to halt rocket attacks by militants.

* Israeli troops advance, bisecting Gaza Israeli troops advanced into Gaza on Sunday under cover of heavy air, tank and artillery fire after opening a ground war against the militant group Hamas on Saturday night.

* Psalm Read Aloud on Army Radio In an unprecedented radio event, a chapter of Tehillim (Psalms) was read aloud during prime-time on IDF Army Radio, on behalf of the war effort.

* Barak: Israel Prepared for Attacks on the North Israel is prepared for any kind of confrontation on the northern border or attacks on the Galilee, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reporters Saturday night after ground troops moved into Gaza.

* Shin Bet Chief: Hamas has eased its demands for truce with Israel Head of the Shin Bet General Security Services Yuval Diskin told a cabinet meeting Sunday that Hamas had eased its demands on a cease-fire with Israel, nine days after a IDF operation in Gaza began.

* Anti-Israel group wreaks havoc with Israeli Web sites Pro-Hamas hackers rerouted Ynet English and Bank Discount's surfers to a hostile Web page Friday that included messages against Israel and the US, along with a propaganda song in Arabic.

* Bush, Rice blame Hamas's Kassams US President George W. Bush harshly condemned Hamas and offered no criticism of Israel's Gaza offensive in his first public comments on Operation Cast Lead, made during his Saturday radio address.

* EU presidency: Israel ground op in Gaza 'defensive not offensive' European Union president, the Czech Republic, said Saturday an Israeli ground offensive in Gaza was "defensive, not offensive" action.