* Israel says Navy commandos raid Gaza rocket launch site * Hamas says prevented commandos from landing * Foreign pressure mounts for ceasefire * Rockets from Lebanon fired into northern Israel GAZA/JERUSALEM, July 13 - Israeli navy commandos clashed with Hamas gunmen during a raid on the coast of the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the first such gunfight of a six-day Israeli offensive on the territory aimed at stopping Palestinian rocket fire. The Israeli force was attacking a site in northern Gaza used to launch long-range rockets when it came under fire, a military statement said. The commandos returned fire and managed to hit the launch site, the statement said, adding that four soldiers were lightly wounded in the clash. Hamas said its fighters had fired at the Israeli force offshore, preventing them from landing. Israel says a ground invasion of Gaza remains an option, and it has already mobilized about 20,000 reservists to do so, but most attacks have so far been from the air, hitting some 1,200 targets in the territory. The Islamist group Hamas, which dominates Gaza, has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, striking deeper in the country than ever before. The cross-border violence shows no signs of abating despite mounting international pressure on both sides to end the violence. The U.N. Security Council called for a cessation of hostilities and Western Foreign Ministers were due to meet on Sunday to discuss the need for a ceasefire. Still sirens went off throughout the night in Israel, sending residents running for safe rooms and bomb shelters. Israeli aircraft carried out a series of attacks in Gaza, including against a police headquarters and a security compound, Palestinian officials said. A woman and a three-year-old girl were killed in the air strikes, officials said, bringing the six-day Palestinian death toll to 149, many of them civilians. Israel says Hamas puts innocent Gazans in harm's way by placing weaponry and gunmen in residential areas. A senior Israeli military officer said aircraft had aborted "hundreds" of strikes to avoid collateral damage and that targets bombed were meant to impact Hamas fire capacity. No Israeli has been killed by the cascade of Hamas rockets, many of which were shot down above Israeli towns by Iron Dome, a partly U.S.-funded interceptor system. Israel rushed an eighth Iron Dome into service on Saturday to counter stronger-than-expected rocket fire from Gaza. Fire was also exchanged across Israel's northern border. Rockets fired late on Saturday from Lebanon hit Israel, and the military said it responded with artillery fire at the source of the launch. Southern Lebanon is a stronghold of Hezbollah, a Shi'ite Muslim group that battled Israel seven years ago and is engaged in Syria's civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad; but there are also Palestinian groups in the same area. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket fire from Lebanon, though it was unclear what kind of influence or presence the Islamist group had there.
More
Ho Chi Minh City to pilot RFID-based parking fee collection on 3 streets
Hai Ba Trung Street and Le Lai Street in District 1, and Pham Huu Chi Street in District 5 will undergo the pilot program
Read more
Philippine VP's assassination threat against president a national security matter, official says
In response to Duterte's threat, Marcos' presidential security command said it had tightened its protocols in guarding the Philippine leader and the national police chief had ordered an investigation
1 day agoDeveloping nations blast $300 billion COP29 climate deal as insufficient
Countries at the COP29 summit in Baku adopted a $300 billion a year global finance target
1 day agoFour tourists die after suspected tainted alcohol poisoning in Laos
A young Australian woman was the latest confirmed death
3 days agoICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif
The unprecedented move drew a furious reaction from Netanyahu
2 days agoScientists obtain image of a star on the precipice of disaster
The dying star, named WOH G64, is located about 160,000 light-years from Earth
3 days agoHighlights
Da Nang citizen redefines life after stroke by learning English
'It was midnight. My wife thought I was sleepwalking, but my mouth stiffened and I could only mumble incoherently'
Latest news
Da Nang citizen redefines life after stroke by learning English
'It was midnight. My wife thought I was sleepwalking, but my mouth stiffened and I could only mumble incoherently'
Breakfast @ Tuoi Tre News — November 25
Good morning from Vietnam!
Success of Ho Chi Minh City's first metro link banks on some key factors
Various cultural houses, shopping malls, parks, and amusement facilities need building along the metro line to appeal to passengers
S.Korean firm, Malaysian businessman keen on projects of Vietnamese tycoon Truong My Lan
South Korea’s APM Luxe is interested in three projects of Van Thinh Phat
Ho Chi Minh City to pilot RFID-based parking fee collection on 3 streets
Hai Ba Trung Street and Le Lai Street in District 1, and Pham Huu Chi Street in District 5 will undergo the pilot program
150 sets of human remains unearthed in Hanoi believed to be buried 50-70 years ago
Authorities have dismissed rumors suggesting the remains were those of soldiers from a Chinese dynasty who died 235 years ago.
Developing nations blast $300 billion COP29 climate deal as insufficient
Countries at the COP29 summit in Baku adopted a $300 billion a year global finance target
Philippine VP's assassination threat against president a national security matter, official says
In response to Duterte's threat, Marcos' presidential security command said it had tightened its protocols in guarding the Philippine leader and the national police chief had ordered an investigation
Vietnamese consumers torn between local goods and low-cost Chinese imports
Customers will always opt for what is good, affordable, and appealing
Hoi An’s project helping artisans go digital wins int’l award
Despite the sheer number of skilled artisans and a variety of unique products, many craft villages in Quang Nam Province are struggling to survive due to their reliance on traditional selling practices