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| Urgent push for Gaza ceasefire | Urgent push for Gaza ceasefire |
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| Diplomatic activity is intensifying over a possible ceasefire to end Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. | Diplomatic activity is intensifying over a possible ceasefire to end Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. |
| An Israeli government spokesman said he hoped the conflict was "entering its final act" as talks were being held in Egypt and Washington. | An Israeli government spokesman said he hoped the conflict was "entering its final act" as talks were being held in Egypt and Washington. |
| Israel attacked 40 targets across Gaza overnight. Casualties at a hospital in Gaza City had to flee because of fire. | Israel attacked 40 targets across Gaza overnight. Casualties at a hospital in Gaza City had to flee because of fire. |
| Thousands of Gazans are expected to turn out for the funeral of a top Hamas leader who was killed on Thursday. | Thousands of Gazans are expected to turn out for the funeral of a top Hamas leader who was killed on Thursday. |
| Said Siyam, who controlled thousands of Hamas security troops in Gaza, died along with his son, brother and two other Hamas officials when his brother's house in Gaza City was bombed. | Said Siyam, who controlled thousands of Hamas security troops in Gaza, died along with his son, brother and two other Hamas officials when his brother's house in Gaza City was bombed. |
| See map of Gaza City and area | See map of Gaza City and area |
| The Israeli army has closed all access to the West Bank for the next two days following a call by Hamas for Palestinians to observe what it called a day of wrath, by staging anti-Israeli protests at Friday prayers. | The Israeli army has closed all access to the West Bank for the next two days following a call by Hamas for Palestinians to observe what it called a day of wrath, by staging anti-Israeli protests at Friday prayers. |
| There has been a similar call by the Palestinian Authority to the followers of the rival Palestinian faction, Fatah. | There has been a similar call by the Palestinian Authority to the followers of the rival Palestinian faction, Fatah. |
| Meeting Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel to declare a unilateral ceasefire. | Meeting Palestinian officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Israel to declare a unilateral ceasefire. |
| Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza say at least 1,105 Palestinians have been killed and 5,100 wounded since Israel launched an operation on 27 December to end rocket attacks on its territory. | Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza say at least 1,105 Palestinians have been killed and 5,100 wounded since Israel launched an operation on 27 December to end rocket attacks on its territory. |
| Thirteen Israelis - three of them civilians - have died, while 233 soldiers have been wounded, the Israeli army says. | Thirteen Israelis - three of them civilians - have died, while 233 soldiers have been wounded, the Israeli army says. |
| Patients flee fire | Patients flee fire |
| Israeli military officials said the overnight attacks targeted smuggling tunnels, launching points, weaponry storages, two Hamas stations and a militants' training camp. | Israeli military officials said the overnight attacks targeted smuggling tunnels, launching points, weaponry storages, two Hamas stations and a militants' training camp. |
| The diplomacy now is in high gear. Hopefully we're entering the final act Mark RegevIsraeli government spokesman Gaza's medical crisisVoices from Gaza CityBowen diary: Damascus to Jerusalem | The diplomacy now is in high gear. Hopefully we're entering the final act Mark RegevIsraeli government spokesman Gaza's medical crisisVoices from Gaza CityBowen diary: Damascus to Jerusalem |
| A BBC producer in Gaza City, Hamada Abuqammar, said the whole area was under fire from Israeli artillery. | A BBC producer in Gaza City, Hamada Abuqammar, said the whole area was under fire from Israeli artillery. |
| He said the Quds hospital was now empty, after it had to be evacuated overnight because of a fire caused by a tank shell on Thursday. | He said the Quds hospital was now empty, after it had to be evacuated overnight because of a fire caused by a tank shell on Thursday. |
| The evacuees included sick and wounded patients on stretchers and wheelchairs. | The evacuees included sick and wounded patients on stretchers and wheelchairs. |
| The bodies of 23 people were recovered in the Tel al-Hawa district of Gaza City following Thursday's intense fighting, medics said. | |
| Meanwhile, rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into Israel. Around 10 were launched on Friday but caused no injuries, the Israeli army said. | |
| Truce offer | Truce offer |
| Israeli ministers had late-night talks on Egypt's latest mediation bid. | Israeli ministers had late-night talks on Egypt's latest mediation bid. |
| GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND In depth: Gaza conflictQ&A: Gaza conflictWho are Hamas?Middle East conflict: History in maps | GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND In depth: Gaza conflictQ&A: Gaza conflictWho are Hamas?Middle East conflict: History in maps |
| One diplomat said that there is now "feverish telephone tag", in an attempt to reach agreement on a ceasefire, the BBC's Tim Franks reports from Jerusalem. | One diplomat said that there is now "feverish telephone tag", in an attempt to reach agreement on a ceasefire, the BBC's Tim Franks reports from Jerusalem. |
| Israeli envoy Amos Gilad returned to Cairo on Friday, having briefed Mr Olmert and other officials overnight on his previous day's talks with Egyptian officials. | Israeli envoy Amos Gilad returned to Cairo on Friday, having briefed Mr Olmert and other officials overnight on his previous day's talks with Egyptian officials. |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has gone to Washington for talks, aimed at formalising an agreement with the US to help prevent Hamas smuggling in arms, a key Israeli demand for ending its three-week assault on Gaza. | Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has gone to Washington for talks, aimed at formalising an agreement with the US to help prevent Hamas smuggling in arms, a key Israeli demand for ending its three-week assault on Gaza. |
| Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC that Israel wanted a prompt end to the violence. | Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC that Israel wanted a prompt end to the violence. |
| "The diplomacy now is in high gear. Hopefully we're entering the final act. We want this to be over as soon as possible," he said. | "The diplomacy now is in high gear. Hopefully we're entering the final act. We want this to be over as soon as possible," he said. |
| "The minute we can be sure that the solution will not be a band aid, that after a few days of quiet we won't have more rockets on Israeli civilians, the minute we can understand that that situation will be a sustained peace, then we're going to go for it." | "The minute we can be sure that the solution will not be a band aid, that after a few days of quiet we won't have more rockets on Israeli civilians, the minute we can understand that that situation will be a sustained peace, then we're going to go for it." |
| Hamas is reported to be offering a year-long truce if Israel withdraws from Gaza and lifts its blockade. | Hamas is reported to be offering a year-long truce if Israel withdraws from Gaza and lifts its blockade. |
| Mussa Abu Marzuk, the Damascus-based deputy head of the militant group's politburo, said the offer was made by a Hamas delegation to Egyptian authorities during talks in Cairo. | Mussa Abu Marzuk, the Damascus-based deputy head of the militant group's politburo, said the offer was made by a Hamas delegation to Egyptian authorities during talks in Cairo. |
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