The story

Thousands of Israeli troops pushed into Gaza, essentially splitting north from south by Sunday, the second day of the ground incursion.

The troops, backed by tanks, artillery and helicopters, gained control of parts of northern Gaza on Sunday, according to Palestinian security sources.

The ground push has resulted in mounting casualties on both sides, as Israel continues the air assault it started on December 27. More than 500 Palestinians were killed over the past week, according to Palestinian medical sources.

"Every couple of minutes we hear an explosion," Safa Joudeh, a Gaza City resident, told CNN early Monday. "We can see tanks coming closer and closer into Gaza."

She said most residents are confined to their homes, without electricity and running out of food and water. Read full article »

CNN Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson contributed to this report.

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