January 4, 2009 Livni: Israel needs time, world's support Play video

(NECN/APTN) - Thousands of Israeli troops backed by tanks and helicopter gunships pushed deeper into Gaza on Sunday, surrounding the coastal territory's largest city in the first full day of an overwhelming ground offensive.

Israel has said it inflicted a heavy blow against Hamas as it expands a weeklong offensive into Gaza.

But spiraling civilian casualties fuelled an intensifying international outcry. Israel said the military offensive was intended to halt rocket fire into southern Israel from Gaza, so far the operation has failed to that.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni called on the international community to support Israel during the offensive, which she said was "in the interest of the entire international community."

Livini spoke before a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Saltanov.

"Our expectation of the world is not to share this war with us, not to replace us in doing so, this is our responsibility as the Israeli government, but we'll need the understanding, the support and the time from the international community to do something that I believe represents the interest of the entire international community," Livni said.

She later met with the heads of humanitarian aid organizations.

Later on Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak met with special Envoy to the Middle East Quartet, Tony Blair. Shortly after that, Barak met with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Isaac Herzog, Israeli Welfare Minister, spoke on Israel's goal in this offensive.

"Our aim is to reach all of the launching sites or the relevant launching site from which most of the missiles were launched at Israel, including missiles today," Herzog said. "We know it will be tough, we know it will be...there will be ups and downs and battles but we are determined, absolutely determined to go on forcefully throughout the process in order to change the circumstances on ground in a very dramatic way so that people in Sderot can take the car in the morning drop their kid in school and go to work without any fear."

Video courtesy of APTN.