The Israeli army has intensified its offensive on the Gaza Strip, striking Hamas sites and killing at least 14 people on the second day of a military operation.

DOZENS of Israeli tanks pushed deep into the Gaza Strip and aircraft fired missiles at Palestinian militants yesterday in heavy fighting that mirrored the Israeli offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.

Israel has stopped targeting Palestinian militants for death, security officials said early today.

MODERATE Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas attacked Israel as “the Zionist enemy” for the first time yesterday after an Israeli tank killed seven Palestinian youths in a Gaza strawberry field.

Defiant Palestinian militants pounded Jewish settlements in the southern Gaza Strip with mortar fire today, following the killing of a top Hamas militant in an air strike.