 "Palestinian rescue workers carry the remains of a man found next to a beachside cafe after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Photo: AP")
Israeli warplanes unleashed a fierce air bombardment on Gaza City before dawn on Monday as Hamas militants in the coastal enclave continued to target towns in southern Israel with barrages of rockets, bringing the conflict into a second, grinding week of bloodshed and destruction.
Stepped-up diplomatic efforts led by the United States and a meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the weekend showed little sign of progress. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, speaking on Sunday, said the operation would “take time.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes to restore order and quiet,” Netanyahu said during a television appearance.
