Israel Hamas War -- News Updates For January 2, 2009

Palestinians search for bodies in the rubble of the house of senior Hamas leader Nizar Rayan after an Israeli missile strike. The attack on the home in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip killed Rayan and members of his family. Abid Katib / Getty Images

Israel Destroys Hamas Homes, Flattens Gaza Mosque
-- Yahoo News/AP

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israel bombed a mosque it claimed was used to store weapons and destroyed homes of more than a dozen Hamas operatives Friday, but under international pressure, the government allowed hundreds of Palestinians with foreign passports to leave besieged Gaza.

Israel has been building up artillery, armor and infantry on Gaza's border in an indication the week-old air assault against Gaza's Hamas rulers could imminently expand with a ground incursion. At the same time, however, international pressure is building for a cease-fire that would block more fighting.

"There is no water, no electricity, no medicine. It's hard to survive. Gaza is destroyed," said Jawaher Haggi, a 14-year-old U.S. citizen who said her uncle was killed in an airstrike when he tried to pick up some medicine for her cancer-stricken father. She said her father died several days later.

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More News On The Israel Hamas War

Hamas calls for revenge as Israel hits Gaza again -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Israel pounds Gaza as 'day of wrath' unfurls -- Yahoo News/AFP
Israeli Offensive Enters Seventh Day -- Wall Street Journal
IAF Strikes Jabalya Mosque Used as Launching Ground -- Jerusalem Post
Israel to Continue Gaza Attacks Until Hamas Stops Rockets -- Voice of America
Israel on heightened security alert as Hamas declares 'day of wrath' -- Times Online
Israeli warplanes destroy Gaza houses and mosque as air strikes continue -- The Guardian
Senior Hamas Leader Killed -- Washington Post
Hamas Insider Killed in Israeli Strike on Gaza - The Times
Hamas leader killed; Friday a 'day of wrath' -- Washington Times
Hardline Hamas leader killed in air strike on Gaza home -- The Telegraph
Key Hamas leader killed in Gaza strikes -- L.A. Times
Hamas resilient despite Israeli onslaught -- AP
How Hamas is Altering Israeli Politics -- Christian Science Monitor
Israel Steps Up Diplomacy -- New York Times
West Bank anger over Gaza raids -- BBC
Israel Braces For Gaza Retaliation -- NPR
Israel Lets Some Foreigners Leave Gaza -- New York Times
Wounded Bodies and Minds -- Washington Post
Poll: War Boosting Likud and Labor -- Jerusalem Post

Commentary, Editorials, And Analysis

Conflict Can Make or Break Ehud Barak's Fortunes -- Los Angeles Times
President, President-elect Watch Israel, Hamas Carefully -- Voice of America
'Let us Help You Fight Israel in Gaza' -- Jerusalem Post
Moral Clarity in Gaza -- Washington Post opinion
Gaza Nazis -- Washington Times opinion
Israel's Policy Is Perfectly 'Proportionate' -- Wall Street Journal opinion
Hamas Fantasy Rules -- National Review editorial
Defining Victory for Israel -- Washington Post opinion
The Real Problem is Iran -- National Review opinion
Israel's 'Victories' in Gaza Come at a Steep Price -- CS Monitor opinion
Excessive Force? -- National Review opinion
Lessons For Us All in Gaza Bloodshed -- The Australian opinion
Responding to Missiles -- Washington Times opinion