An Israeli family climb on a tophill at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, on Jan 17, 2009. as they attend to watch the IDF operation in Gaza strip. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Saturday that Israel is very close to securing the objectives of its 22-day-old offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Photo by Nati Shohat / FLASH90.

An Israeli family sit on a tophill at the southern Israeli town of Sderot, on Jan 17, 2009. as they attend to watch the IDF operation in Gaza strip. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Saturday that Israel is very close to securing the objectives of its 22-day-old offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Photo by Nati Shohat / FLASH90.

Two Israeli young boys with the Israeli flag on their shoulder play on a tophill in the southern Israeli town of Sderot, on Jan 17, 2009. during the IDF operation in Gaza strip. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Saturday that Israel is very close to securing the objectives of its 22-day-old offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. Photo by Nati Shohat / FLASH90.

A Palestinian mourns during the funeral of top Hamas official Said Siam at his family home in Gaza City, Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. Siam was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday. Some 1,100 Palestinians have been killed since the war began on Dec. 27, including 346 children, according to the U.N. and Gaza health officials. Thirteen Israelis have been killed, four by rocket fire. "photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages" flash90

Palestinian relatives mourn over the bodies of Mother and her five sons , during their funeral in the Bureij central Gaza Strip. on Jan 17 2009 Photo By Abed Rahim Khatib / FLASH90

Palestinian relatives mourn over the bodies of Mother and her five sons , during their funeral in the Bureij central Gaza Strip. on Jan 17 2009 Photo By Abed Rahim Khatib / FLASH90 *** Local Caption *** עופרת יצוקה לויה פלסטינים אם ילדים

Palestinians sit on their belongings as they wait to leave a United Nations school where displaced people were seeking refuge after it was hit in Israeli shelling in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. A United Nations official condemned the Israeli shelling attack that struck a U.N. school in the northern Gaza Strip and killed two people."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages" *** Local Caption *** עזה לויה ילד ילדים מלחמה עופרת יצוקה

Palestinians are sitting in car to leave a United Nations school where displaced people were seeking refuge after it was hit in Israeli shelling in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. A United Nations official condemned the Israeli shelling attack that struck a U.N. school in the northern Gaza Strip and killed two people."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages"

Palestinian mourners attend the funeral procession of victims of Israeli bombardments, including children, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip on January 17, 2009. Israel battered Gaza with new strikes today, as it was poised to unilaterally halt a 22-day-old war on Hamas that has killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins. But Hamas vowed that it would fight on if the Israeli security cabinet orders a unilateral ceasefire insisting that Israeli troops must withdraw from Gaza as part of a reciprocal truce."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages" *** Local Caption *** עזה לויה ילד ילדים מלחמה עופרת יצוקה

Palestinians mourn over the bodies of three children, wrapped in Fatah party?s flags, after they were killed by Israeli fire in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip on January 17, 2009. Israel battered Gaza with new strikes today, as it was poised to unilaterally halt a 22-day-old war on Hamas that has killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins.But Hamas vowed that it would fight on if the Israeli security cabinet orders a unilateral ceasefire insisting that Israeli troops must withdraw from Gaza as part of a reciprocal truce."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages" *** Local Caption *** עזה לויה ילד ילדים מלחמה עופרת יצוקה

Palestinian mourners attend the funeral procession of victims of Israeli bombardments, including children, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip on January 17, 2009. Israel battered Gaza with new strikes today, as it was poised to unilaterally halt a 22-day-old war on Hamas that has killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins. But Hamas vowed that it would fight on if the Israeli security cabinet orders a unilateral ceasefire insisting that Israeli troops must withdraw from Gaza as part of a reciprocal truce."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages"

Palestinian mourners attend the funeral procession of victims of Israeli bombardments, including children, in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip on January 17, 2009. Israel battered Gaza with new strikes today, as it was poised to unilaterally halt a 22-day-old war on Hamas that has killed nearly 1,200 Palestinians and left much of the enclave in ruins. But Hamas vowed that it would fight on if the Israeli security cabinet orders a unilateral ceasefire insisting that Israeli troops must withdraw from Gaza as part of a reciprocal truce."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages"

Palestinian boy try to drink water in the a United Nations school where displaced people were seeking refuge after it was hit in Israeli shelling in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. A United Nations official condemned the Israeli shelling attack that struck a U.N. school in the northern Gaza Strip and killed two people."photo by Fady Adwan/propaimages" flash90

Israelis wearing prayer-shawls walk in the southern town of Sderot, neighboring the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, on January 17, 2009. Photo by Nati Shohat / Flash 90.

Israelis wearing prayer-shawls walk in the southern town of Sderot, neighboring the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, on January 17, 2009. Photo by Nati Shohat / Flash 90.

An Israeli man wearing prayer-shawl walks in the southern town of Sderot, neighboring the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, on January 17, 2009 Photo by Nati Shohat / Flash 90.

An Israeli man wearing prayer-shawl walks in the southern town of Sderot, neighboring the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, on January 17, 2009 Photo by Nati Shohat / Flash 90.

A mobile artillery on the Israeli - Gaza border bombards and shoots towards the Gaza strip, January 17, 2009. Israeli ground troops pushed deep into southern Gaza City on 15 January, advancing close to the city centre and sparking heavy battles with local militants, upping the pressure on Hamas even as international efforts to reach a truce seemed to be gaining momentum. As the UN and Germany‘s top diplomats were holding talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Israeli ground troops were taking on Hamas and other militants as close as 1.5 kilometres from the city centre, Gaza City residents said. Backed by heavy tank shelling, the troops concentrated in the southern Tel el-Hawa neighbourhood made their deepest push yet into the city of 400,000 and were now "very close" to Gaza City's Islamic University and United Nations headquarters, they said. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90

A mobile artillery on the Israeli - Gaza border bombards and shoots towards the Gaza strip, January 17, 2009. Israeli ground troops pushed deep into southern Gaza City on 15 January, advancing close to the city centre and sparking heavy battles with local militants, upping the pressure on Hamas even as international efforts to reach a truce seemed to be gaining momentum. As the UN and Germany‘s top diplomats were holding talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the Israeli ground troops were taking on Hamas and other militants as close as 1.5 kilometres from the city centre, Gaza City residents said. Backed by heavy tank shelling, the troops concentrated in the southern Tel el-Hawa neighbourhood made their deepest push yet into the city of 400,000 and were now "very close" to Gaza City's Islamic University and United Nations headquarters, they said. Photo by Nati Shohat/Flash90