Militant leaders insist bombings will not topple their rule

GAZA’S deeply entrenched Hamas rulers won’t be easily toppled, even by Israel’s unprecedented bombings on Saturday that killed more than 280 people, most of them men in Hamas uniform.

For now, Israel’s defence minister says he’s striving for a lesser, temporary objective: to deliver such a punishing blow to Hamas that the Islamic militants will halt rocket attacks on Israel.

However, Israel’s offensive, launched just six weeks before a general election in the Jewish state, is fraught with risks.