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| Egyptian PM arrives in Gaza as rocket attacks and air strikes continue | Egyptian PM arrives in Gaza as rocket attacks and air strikes continue |
| (8 days later) | |
| Egypt's prime minister, Hisham Kandil, has arrived in Gaza, as Israel and Palestinian militants continue to exchange fire. | Egypt's prime minister, Hisham Kandil, has arrived in Gaza, as Israel and Palestinian militants continue to exchange fire. |
| Egypt is pushing ahead in efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas, and Kandil said Cairo would "spare no effort" to achieve a ceasefire. | Egypt is pushing ahead in efforts to mediate a truce between Israel and Hamas, and Kandil said Cairo would "spare no effort" to achieve a ceasefire. |
| But on a visit to a Gaza hospital, he blamed Israel for the conflict. "This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said. | But on a visit to a Gaza hospital, he blamed Israel for the conflict. "This tragedy cannot pass in silence and the world should take responsibility in stopping this aggression," he said. |
| Rockets fired from Gaza hit several sites in southern Israel on Friday morning, shortly after Kandil arrived in the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli air force responded with an attack on the house of Hamas's commander for southern Gaza, a Hamas source told Reuters. | Rockets fired from Gaza hit several sites in southern Israel on Friday morning, shortly after Kandil arrived in the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli air force responded with an attack on the house of Hamas's commander for southern Gaza, a Hamas source told Reuters. |
| Medics said the air strike killed two people, one of them a child, raising the Palestinian death toll since Wednesday to 21. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday. | Medics said the air strike killed two people, one of them a child, raising the Palestinian death toll since Wednesday to 21. Three Israelis were killed by a rocket on Thursday. |
| Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter: "Hamas does not respect the Egyptian prime minister's visit to Gaza and violates the temporary ceasefire that Israel agreed to during the visit." | Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter: "Hamas does not respect the Egyptian prime minister's visit to Gaza and violates the temporary ceasefire that Israel agreed to during the visit." |
| Israel had previously said it was prepared to suspend its military offensive during Kandil's three-hour visit if militant groups also stopped firing rockets. | Israel had previously said it was prepared to suspend its military offensive during Kandil's three-hour visit if militant groups also stopped firing rockets. |
| Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-led government has said a truce is the only option, but officials in Cairo warned privately that there was no immediate prospect of an end to the Israeli operation, saying the conflict could continue for at least another week. | Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood-led government has said a truce is the only option, but officials in Cairo warned privately that there was no immediate prospect of an end to the Israeli operation, saying the conflict could continue for at least another week. |
| Overnight, Israeli war planes pounded Gaza with around 150 air strikes, causing massive explosions in the main cities and sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. The Israeli Defence Forces said it had targeted rocket-launching sites and arms depots, "causing severe damage to terror infrastructures". | Overnight, Israeli war planes pounded Gaza with around 150 air strikes, causing massive explosions in the main cities and sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. The Israeli Defence Forces said it had targeted rocket-launching sites and arms depots, "causing severe damage to terror infrastructures". |
| In a sign that Israel is preparing to further escalate Operation Pillar of Defence, the military said it was calling up 16,000 reservists, after receiving permission to draft up to 30,000. Netanyahu has said a ground invasion of Gaza cannot be ruled out. | In a sign that Israel is preparing to further escalate Operation Pillar of Defence, the military said it was calling up 16,000 reservists, after receiving permission to draft up to 30,000. Netanyahu has said a ground invasion of Gaza cannot be ruled out. |
| On Thursday evening, two rockets from Gaza crashed near Tel Aviv, the first such attack on Israel's commercial capital in 20 years. One fell into the Mediterranean Sea (video) and the other in an uninhabited part of a suburb south of the city. | On Thursday evening, two rockets from Gaza crashed near Tel Aviv, the first such attack on Israel's commercial capital in 20 years. One fell into the Mediterranean Sea (video) and the other in an uninhabited part of a suburb south of the city. |
| Until Friday, Israeli air strikes had killed 19 Palestinians, including seven militants and 12 civilians, among them six children and a pregnant woman. A Hamas rocket killed three Israelis in the town of Kiryat Malachi on Thursday morning. | Until Friday, Israeli air strikes had killed 19 Palestinians, including seven militants and 12 civilians, among them six children and a pregnant woman. A Hamas rocket killed three Israelis in the town of Kiryat Malachi on Thursday morning. |
| The latest surge in the long-running conflict came on Wednesday when Israel killed Hamas's military mastermind, Ahmed al-Jabari, in a precision air strike on his car. Israel then began shelling the coastal enclave from land, air and sea. | The latest surge in the long-running conflict came on Wednesday when Israel killed Hamas's military mastermind, Ahmed al-Jabari, in a precision air strike on his car. Israel then began shelling the coastal enclave from land, air and sea. |
| Israel says its offensive was in response to increasing missile salvoes from Gaza. The bombing has not yet reached the saturation level seen before it last invaded Gaza in 2008. | Israel says its offensive was in response to increasing missile salvoes from Gaza. The bombing has not yet reached the saturation level seen before it last invaded Gaza in 2008. |
| Air raid sirens sent residents running for shelter in Tel Aviv. The metropolitan area is home to more than 3 million people, more than 40% of Israel's population. "This escalation will exact a price that the other side will have to pay," the Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak, said in a television broadcast shortly after the strike. | Air raid sirens sent residents running for shelter in Tel Aviv. The metropolitan area is home to more than 3 million people, more than 40% of Israel's population. "This escalation will exact a price that the other side will have to pay," the Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak, said in a television broadcast shortly after the strike. |
| An Israeli cabinet statement on Wednesday spoke only of "improving" national security. At the same time in Gaza, the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, urged Egypt to do more to help the Palestinians. "We call upon the brothers in Egypt to take the measures that will deter this enemy," he said. | An Israeli cabinet statement on Wednesday spoke only of "improving" national security. At the same time in Gaza, the Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, urged Egypt to do more to help the Palestinians. "We call upon the brothers in Egypt to take the measures that will deter this enemy," he said. |
| The resurgent conflict will be the biggest test yet of the commitment of the Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, to Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which the west views as the bedrock of Middle East peace. Cairo recalled its ambassador from Israel on Wednesday. Israel's ambassador left Cairo on what was called a routine home visit, but Israel said its embassy would remain open. | The resurgent conflict will be the biggest test yet of the commitment of the Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, to Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which the west views as the bedrock of Middle East peace. Cairo recalled its ambassador from Israel on Wednesday. Israel's ambassador left Cairo on what was called a routine home visit, but Israel said its embassy would remain open. |
| The Muslim Brotherhood, which brought Morsi to power in an election after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, has called for a "day of rage" in Arab capitals on Friday. The Brotherhood is seen as the spiritual mentor of Hamas. | The Muslim Brotherhood, which brought Morsi to power in an election after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, has called for a "day of rage" in Arab capitals on Friday. The Brotherhood is seen as the spiritual mentor of Hamas. |
| Israeli war planes have dropped leaflets in Gaza advising residents to stay away from Hamas and other militants. UN diplomats said the secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, would head to Israel and Egypt next week to try to mediate a ceasefire, but gave no further details. | Israeli war planes have dropped leaflets in Gaza advising residents to stay away from Hamas and other militants. UN diplomats said the secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, would head to Israel and Egypt next week to try to mediate a ceasefire, but gave no further details. |
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