Tel Aviv - Israel appeared Wednesday to be increasing its pressure on Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, as its the air force attacked 60 targets in the salient overnight, bringing to 160 the number of airstrikes carried out in the past 24 hours.

A military spokesman said early Wednesday morning that the latest targets attacked included police headquarters in Gaza City, rocket launching sites, nine arms depots and 35 smuggling tunnels running under the Gaza-Egyptian border, which Israel believes are used to bring weapons into the salient.

Aircraft also gave air support to troops on the ground, the spokesman said.

Jerusalem, Jan. 13: Israeli troops have entered Gaza City after artillery, attack helicopters and navy gunboats, which had shelled the coast from the west, backed up the ground forces.

According to Sky News, Special Forces advanced into the southern neighbourhood of Tal al Hawa after midnight and were ambushed by Palestinian fighters.

Tanks then pushed into the district and opened fire, supported by aerial bombing.

The armed wing of Hamas, the Ezzedine al Qassam Brigades, said fighters had knocked out two Israeli tanks in the Zeitun area with rocket-propelled grenades. Israel denied the claim.

One Palestinian was killed by tank fire in Zeitun, medics said.

Gaza/Tel Aviv - Israeli soldiers fought heavy battles with local militants early Tuesday as ground troops on Gaza City's outskirts pushed deeper into a southern neighbourhood.

Israeli fighter jets and helicopters also carried out dozens more attacks during the night, most of them as they were providing air support to the ground troops against Palestinian militants confronting them, a military spokesman in Tel Aviv said.

A total of 60 targets were struck, including more smuggling tunnels and a hotel in the north of the Strip in which militants had gathered and were planning to carry out a shooting against the ground troops, he said.

Gaza/New York - The United Nations Security Council was preparing for another meeting on Tuesday while news reports said Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified overnight.

Quoting residents in Gaza City, Arab-language news network Al-Jazeera said Israeli operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip escalated considerably.

Gaza City  - Israeli ground troops fought heavy battles with Palestinian militants on Gaza City's outskirts Monday, as Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said only Israel would decide when it would stop its offensive in Gaza and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said the movement's fighters had an "appointment with victory."

Gaza  - Hamas fighters battling Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip would soon see victory, the movement's leader Ismail Haniya said Monday night.

Speaking in a pre-recorded televised speech carried on Hamas' al- Aqsa television, an exhausted-looking Haniya said Hamas had an "appointment to meet soon with victory against an enemy which has shown no mercy to stones, trees and humans."