Palestinians have taken to the streets of the West Bank city of Ramallah to protest against Israel's ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

Residents marched along streets in Gaza on Saturday night. Witnesses said Israeli ground forces had moved several hundred meters inside Gaza.

Israeli troops backed by columns of tanks poured into Gaza after nightfall, setting off fierce clashes with Palestinian militants.

Israel also continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes, with F-16 warplanes hitting three targets within a few minutes, including a main Hamas security compound.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says despite the risk it posed to thousands of soldiers, the land operation is necessary as it's "in a responsible manner".

(CCTV January 5, 2009)