Israeli planes and tanks pounded the Gaza Strip Saturday and Hamas militants fired rockets into Israel, as both sides defied international efforts to halt the conflict.
The Israeli military carried out more than 40 air strikes, killing at least 15 Hamas fighters. The military says troops also exchanged fire with Palestinian militants on the ground in Gaza.
Palestinian medics say a strike by an Israeli tank killed at least eight people in northern Gaza.
Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets Saturday warning Gaza residents it plans to intensify its offensive, which just entered its third week.
Meanwhile, Hamas launched rockets that hit the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, wounding at least three people.
Diplomatic efforts continue
In Cairo, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas held talks Saturday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on an Egyptian cease-fire proposal. Mr. Abbas urged acceptance of the measure, calling it the "only mechanism" that can end the bloodshed.
Hamas has sent a delegation to Cairo to discuss the Egyptian proposal. Israeli officials visited Cairo earlier in the week.
Both Israel and Hamas have dismissed a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted Thursday calling for an immediate cease-fire. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel will continue its operation as long as rockets are being fired at Israeli civilians.
Hamas leaders also objected to the resolution, stressing that they had not been consulted. The group has vowed not to accept any plan that does not end Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
Gaza medical officials say more than 800 Palestinians have died since the conflict began. About half of the dead are women and children. At least 13 Israelis have been killed, including at least nine soldiers.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza face shortages of food, medicine, water and power.
U.N. officials say they will resume aid operations for civilians as soon as possible, after receiving assurances from Israel that the security of aid workers will be respected.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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