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.

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

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