Israel rejects Gaza truce calls
Gaza wakes up to another day of air strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has rejected international calls for a 48-hour truce in the Gaza Strip to allow in more humanitarian aid.
He said conditions were not right for a ceasefire, but did not rule one out if a "better security reality in the south" of Israel came about.
Israel has launched air strikes on Gaza for a fifth day, while more Hamas rockets have landed in southern Israel.
The town of Beersheba was hit, the deepest penetration by rockets so far.
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In the last five days, Israeli jets and attack helicopters have hit Hamas targets, including security compounds, government buildings, smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt and homes belonging to militant leaders.
Palestinian officials say about 391 Palestinians have died in the Israeli air strikes; four Israelis have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza, which is under Hamas control.
After meeting his cabinet, Prime Minister Olmert said conditions were not right for a ceasefire, but he did not rule one out in the future.
"If conditions will ripen, and we think there can be a diplomatic solution that will ensure a better security reality in the south, we will consider it. But at the moment, it's not there," he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
Any ceasefire with Hamas had to be permanent, he said, adding that there was international consensus that Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel had to stop.
International appeals
The 48-hour ceasefire plan to allow more aid into Gaza, was proposed by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
 The Hamas PM's offices were again attacked early on Wednesday |
A Hamas spokesman quoted by AFP news agency criticised the current international truce proposals, saying they "put the executioner and victim on equal footing".
Fawzi Barhum said international and Arab efforts had to focus on "ending this aggression".
A European Union statement had called for an "unconditional" halt to Hamas rocket attacks.
The Arab League is also meeting in Cairo to discuss the crisis.
Hospitals depleted
On Wednesday, Israeli missiles again pounded tunnels along Gaza's Egyptian frontier, as well as an office of former Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and other buildings linked to his Hamas movement.
Rockets landed in and around the southern Israeli town of Beersheba, about 40 km (24 miles) from Gaza, on Wednesday and Tuesday.
Although no serious casualties were reported, this is the deepest that Palestinian rockets have penetrated inside Israel - something that will only increase Israeli public support for continued military action, observers say.
Hamas rocket reaches Beersheba
A police spokesman said 860,000 Israelis were now in range of Palestinian rockets.
The UN says at least 62 Palestinian civilians have died since Saturday. Palestinian medical officials say more than 1,700 people have been injured, overwhelming Gaza's hospitals.
Red Cross spokesman in Gaza Iyad Nasr said Gaza badly needed more supplies.
"In particular the hospitals have been depleted and stretched to the maximum because of the closure imposed," he told the BBC.
Israel said it was allowing 106 lorries carrying humanitarian aid - including medical supplies - from a variety of international organisations into Gaza on Wednesday.
Closed military zone
The US - Israel's strongest ally - has called for a long-term solution beyond any immediate ceasefire. But the White House reiterated the onus was on Hamas to act first to end the violence.
|  It is not known exactly what rockets Hamas and other groups in Gaza have Israel says Hamas used the six-month truce to boost its arsenal through smuggling tunnels Grad-style missiles have reached Ashkelon since 2006 Recent strikes in Ashdod could be Iranian-made Oghab, Fajr-3 or Ra'ad missiles |
An extra 2,500 reservists have been called up by the Israeli army and, on the frontier with Gaza, preparations continue for a possible ground operation.
Israel has massed forces along the boundary and has declared the area around it a "closed military zone".
Correspondents say this could be a prelude to ground operations, but could also be intended to build pressure on Hamas.
A statement by Hamas has warned any invasion would see "the children of Gaza collecting the body parts of Israeli soldiers and the ruins of tanks".
The Israeli air strikes began less than a week after the expiry of a six-month-long ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but has kept tight control over access in and out of Gaza and its airspace.