The story
Israel's ground incursion into Gaza will be lengthy and risky but is necessary to halt the barrage of Hamas rockets into southern Israel and restore peace to Israelis, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Saturday.
Yet Hamas vowed to "fight until the last breath," warning Israel that "Gaza will be your cemetery" as ground forces enter the Hamas-controlled territory Saturday night.
As night fell on the eighth day of the bloody conflict, both sides remained defiant, vowing to stand their ground and accusing each other of provoking the clash.
At least four Palestinians have been killed as a direct result of Israel's ground assault in Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said. At least 460 Palestinians have been killed and 2,750 injured in eight days of Israeli airstrikes, medical sources said.
Israeli police and military officials said four people -- three of them civilians -- have died in the weeklong fighting. Another 57 have been wounded. 
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