Israel kills a senior Hamas military commander as it continues to pound the Gaza strip - je 03.01.2009 12

We begin in the Middle East, and Israel's air offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has continued with a senior Hamas military leader killed overnight. Meanwhile, Israeli tanks and troops are standing ready on the Gaza border, apparently poised to begin a ground offensive. For his part, the Syrian based Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said that if Israel did send ground forces into Gaza they would meet what he called a "black destiny".