Q+A: What's next in Gaza conflict?

(Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday it was pressing on with its five-day-old operation against Hamas militants, rebuffing a French proposal for a 48-hour truce to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip.

Here are some questions and answers about the conflict:

Q - Where do things stand now?

A - Israel continues to hit Hamas from the air, attacks that have killed at least 386 Palestinians and wounded more than 870 since Saturday. A U.N. agency says at least a quarter of those killed were civilians. Targets include Hamas government buildings, militants' homes and smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border that serve as supply lines for the Islamist group and for the Gaza Strip as a whole. Despite the offensive, Hamas rockets are hitting deeper inside Israel and have struck the major city of Beersheba, 40 km (24 miles) from the Gaza Strip. Israeli armor is massing along the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground invasion.

Q - Will Israeli tanks and infantry push into the Gaza Strip?

A - Meir Sheetrit, a member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's security cabinet, says that option is on the table and that air strikes will continue.

Q - What could be holding up a ground operation?

A - The weather, possibly. It has rained for the past several days and an invasion spearheaded by tanks and other heavy armor can literally get bogged down. Forecasters predict skies will clear late on Thursday and good weather on Friday and Saturday.

Israeli military planners have said publicly a ground operation could lead to heavy casualties on both sides -- making an invasion a particularly risky move for Israeli leaders before a national election six weeks away.

Q - How would Hamas try to counter an incursion?

A - The Islamist group is believed to have planted landmines and booby-traps across the Gaza Strip for use against armor and infantry, and it commands at least 25,000 trained fighters. The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated places on earth and Israel could face tough urban warfare in a showdown with Hamas forces.

Q - Is a truce still possible?

A - Foreign powers have increased pressure on both sides to halt hostilities. Israeli officials have made clear they are still open to amendments and alternatives to the French ceasefire proposal. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is due to hold talks in Paris on Thursday and an Israeli official said French President Nicolas Sarkozy planned to visit Jerusalem next Monday. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyid Erdogan flew to Syria on Wednesday to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as part of a four-country push for a ceasefire. Erdogan also plans to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday and Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh on Saturday.

(Writing by Jeffrey Heller; Editing by Giles Elgood)