Israel military seeks temporary Gaza truce

GAZA, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Israel's military leaders are recommending a diplomatic initiative to establish a 48-hour truce in the country's offensive against Gaza militants, sources say.

Citing unnamed sources, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz says Israel's defense establishment was set Tuesday to urge Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to seek a two-day pause in the offensive before it becomes necessary to launch a ground invasion targeting Gaza positions held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Olmert was said to be considering making a truce announcement.

The prime minister said the airstrikes are a defensive measure aimed at stopping rocket and mortar fire from Gaza into southern Israel. Since the assault began last weekend, more than 375 Palestinians, most of them Hamas militants, have died, Palestinian medical sources said. The United Nations reported at least 60 of the dead were civilians.

Israel airplanes bombed a Hamas government compound Tuesday, destroying at least three structures, including the foreign ministry building, witnesses and Hamas security sources told CNN.

In the Mediterranean Sea Tuesday, an Israeli patrol boat struck a boat loaded with medical volunteers and supplies bound for Gaza as it tried to intercept the vessel, witnesses and Israeli officials said.

Israel accused the Gibraltar-registered Dignity of being involved in terrorist activity, the ship's captain said. The Dignity was carrying 16 passengers, including physicians from Britain, Germany and Cyprus and several human rights activists, including former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney.

Crew members said they believe the Dignity was intentionally struck, which Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor called "absurd."

In Gaza, meanwhile, Hamas militants killed at least six people in hospitals accused of collaborating with Israelis, The New York Times reported.