Gaza Toll at 765: Olmert Looks to Escalate Attacks

As rescue teams continue to pull bodies from the wreckage that two weeks ago was the Gaza Strip, the death toll now sits at 765, and is expected to rise even further in the days to come.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told reservists that despite multiple international efforts to bring the Israeli offensive to a halt, the operation in Gaza will continue. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said “the decision about how we make sure that the quiet in the South remains is still before us, and the Israel Defense Forces has still not been asked to carry out everything that is necessary to achieve this,” suggesting the attacks may not only continue, but actually expand in the coming days.

The rising death toll, as well as criticism from the United Nations and the Red Cross about Israel’s overall conduct during the war, are adding to the growing calls for Israel to wrap up its attacks as soon as possible. The Red Cross is accusing Israel of violating international law, while the United Nations announced earlier that they would suspend aid shipments to the Gaza Strip until the Israeli military promised to stop attacking their aid workers.