Report: Israel launches Gaza assault

   JERUSALEM, Nov.1 (Xinhua) -- Israel's security cabinet Wednesday ruled out expansion of military operations in the Gaza Strip, but proposed maintaining the current scale to keep pressure on Palestinian ruling Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported.

   The decision was made during Wednesday's cabinet meeting,during which the four-month military operation in Gaza, which was triggered by the abduction of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants on June. 25 and developed to a campaign aiming to stem rocket attacks and weapon smuggling, was discussed.

   After the discussion, members of the security cabinet decided to maintain the current operation scale but not to expand it.  

    On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel would expand military offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza.  

    At predawn Wednesday, at least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli large-scale operation in Beit Hanoun town in northern Gaza.  

    Earlier in the day, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz also said that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would continue its operations in the Gaza Strip.

   Israel launched a large-scale military offensive in Gaza on June 28, three days after Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted by three Palestinian militant groups in a cross-border raid on an Israeli post in southern Gaza Strip.