Death toll climbs in Gaza

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Israeli troops gained control of parts of northern Gaza Sunday, less than 24 hours after launching a ground incursion into the Palestinian territory, according to Palestinian security sources.

The ground push has resulted in mounting casualties on both sides, and the Israeli military on Sunday continued its air assault on the Palestinian territory.

Palestinian medical sources say Israeli forces have killed 37 Palestinians -- both civilians and militants -- since moving into the territory Saturday night.

With those deaths, at least 507 Palestinians, including about 100 women and children, have been killed in the week-long military operation, and 2,600 Palestinians have been injured, most of them civilians, sources said.

An Israeli soldier was killed and another was seriously wounded near Jabalya in northern Gaza, according to the Israeli military. It marks the first Israeli military death since the ground operation was launched Saturday night.

Israeli forces killed three senior members of Hamas' military wing on Sunday, Hamas sources told CNN.

One was killed near Jabalya and the other two died in an airstrike in southern Gaza, the sources said.

Housam Hamdan and Mohammed Hilou -- both senior members of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades -- were killed in an airstrike in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, Hamas sources said.

The Israeli military said it was targeting the two senior Hamas members but gave no indication of their status.

Israel Defense Forces said Hamdan is responsible for firing long-range Grad rockets into Beer Sheva and Ofakim in southern Israel. IDF said Hilou is a commander of Hamas special forces in Khan Yunis and is also responsible for launching long-range rocket attacks at Israel.

Hamas sources said Israeli forces in Jabalya killed Mohammed Shalpokh, a member of Hamas commando forces which Israel blames for launching rockets from northern Gaza.

The Israeli military said on Sunday Israeli missiles targeted 45 Hamas locations overnight, including the Hamas intelligence headquarters. During the day, the Israeli Air Force attacked over 15 targets, including the three senior Hamas members, as well as rocket-launching sites and squads, armed gunmen, and a smuggling tunnel, the military said.

04.01.2009