Gaza Conflict Day Ten, Humanitarian Crisis Growing

Over 10,000 people demonstrated in Milan, Italy, against the attacks on Gaza by Israel army. In the same hours the land attack has started.

The protesters, mostly young arabs and muslim families, had gathered in Porta Venezia, waving placards, banners and flags and bearing slogans such as "Bush, Barak, assassins" and "Free Palestine".

of the first day of Israel's ground offensive against Hamas left the Gaza Strip split into two yesterday, as the death toll after 10 days of fighting, rose to over 500.

Israeli forces swept from the Karni crossing to the Mediterranean coastline, cutting off Gaza city from the two main population centres in the south of the strip, Khan Younis and Rafah.

The long-expected incursion began on Saturday night, preceded by heavy artillery barrages to clear the path for the invading troops.

Thousands of soldiers, accompanied by tanks, entered Gaza at a number of locations as helicopter gunship provided cover fire.

By yesterday afternoon the Israeli forces had taken control of areas around Beit Lahiyeh and Beit Hanoun, in the north of the strip, from where most of the rockets were fired into Israel.

Hamas threatened to turn Gaza into an "Israeli graveyard", but last night the Israeli military reported one soldier dead and 30 wounded, one critically - a relatively small casualty figure bearing in mind that Palestinian militants had prepared for months to repel an Israeli invasion.

The Swiss government on Sunday called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza in order to relieve the suffering of local civilians and to guarantee humanitarian access.

    "Rocket fire by Hamas as well as Israeli military operations must stop in order to put an end to the suffering inflicted on civilian populations," the Swiss Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

    "The cessation of hostilities must guarantee the immediate reopening of all Gaza crossing points and the lifting of the blockade in order to allow rapid delivery of humanitarian aid in the form of aid workers, food, emergency medical aid and fuels," the statement said.

    The Foreign Ministry also protests the denial by Israeli authorities of access to Gaza by an emergency medical team of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

he international community has over the past two days continued to condemn Israel's ground invasion of the Gaza Strip following days of intensive airstrikes, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the volatile region.

    South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said Monday his country would offer 300,000-U.S. dollars worth of humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip.

    "The South Korean government expresses deep concern that the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and nearby areas is expanding, leading to many casualties including civilians," Moon said at a press briefing.

    "The government urges the related nations to immediately halt the use of force and respond to the international community's call for a truce," he added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross voiced its concern Sunday over the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip after Israeli air strikes pounded the Palestinian territory for a ninth consecutive day.

The ICRC's Director of Operations, Pierre Kraehenbuehl, said in a statement the Red Cross was becoming increasingly "worried about the increasing number of civilian casualties and the increasing number of civilian buildings, including hospitals, damaged in the fighting".

Kraehenbuehl also said that international law forbids any attacks on civilians during a conflict and that both parties should work to minimize loss of civilian life.

"Every person not directly participating in hostilities is protected under (international humanitarian law) and must not be harmed," he said in the statement.

Intense diplomatic efforts are under way to try to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, with separate missions to the Middle East being led by the French president, and a high-level EU team.

But Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, after meeting EU diplomats, rejected calls for an immediate truce.

Palestinian medical sources say the number of people killed in Gaza now stands at more than 500, with some 2,500 wounded. These figures cannot be independently verified.

Five Israelis have been killed since the start of Israel's military operation, which is now in its 10th day.