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| Gaza crisis: Barack Obama calls for immediate ceasefire as fighting goes on | Gaza crisis: Barack Obama calls for immediate ceasefire as fighting goes on |
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| US President Barack Obama has called for an "immediate ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas, after the bloodiest day of fighting in Gaza raised the number of Palestinians killed to 476. | |
| The call came as Israel escalated its offensive which on Sunday claimed 120 Palestinian lives, a third of them women and children. Thirteen Israeli soldiers were also killed on the same day, in the heaviest loss of life for the Israeli military in years, two of them US citizens. | The call came as Israel escalated its offensive which on Sunday claimed 120 Palestinian lives, a third of them women and children. Thirteen Israeli soldiers were also killed on the same day, in the heaviest loss of life for the Israeli military in years, two of them US citizens. |
| Mounting international pressure for a ceasefire came amid continuing violence in Gaza. Over night, Israeli strikes hit Gaza City, and the south and centre of the coastal enclave, home to 1.8 million people. | Mounting international pressure for a ceasefire came amid continuing violence in Gaza. Over night, Israeli strikes hit Gaza City, and the south and centre of the coastal enclave, home to 1.8 million people. |
| Israeli media reported on Monday morning that Israeli troops were continuing to advance into Gaza City's eastern district of Shujai'iya which saw the heaviest Palestinian death toll on Sunday and left shattered streets littered with bodies after Israeli forces subjected it to an intense bombardment. | Israeli media reported on Monday morning that Israeli troops were continuing to advance into Gaza City's eastern district of Shujai'iya which saw the heaviest Palestinian death toll on Sunday and left shattered streets littered with bodies after Israeli forces subjected it to an intense bombardment. |
| The conflict is also rapidly threatening to turn into a major humanitarian crisis hitting electricity and water supplies and seeing large numbers driven from their homes. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA has opened 61 of its schools to shelter more than 81,000 people who have fled so far. | The conflict is also rapidly threatening to turn into a major humanitarian crisis hitting electricity and water supplies and seeing large numbers driven from their homes. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA has opened 61 of its schools to shelter more than 81,000 people who have fled so far. |
| Obama's appeal came as the United Nations security council opened urgent talks on efforts to strike a ceasefire deal as Israel ramped up a major military offensive with fresh strikes on Monday in the Palestinian territory. | Obama's appeal came as the United Nations security council opened urgent talks on efforts to strike a ceasefire deal as Israel ramped up a major military offensive with fresh strikes on Monday in the Palestinian territory. |
| "The members of the security council expressed serious concern about the growing number of casualties. The members of the security council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities," Rwandan UN ambassador Eugene Gasana told reporters after an emergency meeting of the 15-member council. | "The members of the security council expressed serious concern about the growing number of casualties. The members of the security council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities," Rwandan UN ambassador Eugene Gasana told reporters after an emergency meeting of the 15-member council. |
| Amid signs of mounting pressure on both sides to end the conflict, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who is in the Middle East in a bid to help broker a ceasefire, condemned an Israeli assault on the Gaza City area of Shuji'iya – which claimed scores of lives, many civilian - as an "atrocious action." | Amid signs of mounting pressure on both sides to end the conflict, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who is in the Middle East in a bid to help broker a ceasefire, condemned an Israeli assault on the Gaza City area of Shuji'iya – which claimed scores of lives, many civilian - as an "atrocious action." |
| The call of a halt to the fighting came as US secretary of state John Kerry was due to fly to Cairo on Monday for meetings with senior officials from Egypt and other countries, as diplomatic efforts to end the two week long conflict appeared to be gaining some momentum. | The call of a halt to the fighting came as US secretary of state John Kerry was due to fly to Cairo on Monday for meetings with senior officials from Egypt and other countries, as diplomatic efforts to end the two week long conflict appeared to be gaining some momentum. |
| The state department said Kerry would leave early Monday for Egypt where he will join diplomatic efforts to resume a truce that had been agreed to in November 2012. | The state department said Kerry would leave early Monday for Egypt where he will join diplomatic efforts to resume a truce that had been agreed to in November 2012. |
| In a statement on Sunday evening, department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US and its international partners were "deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation, and the loss of more innocent life." | In a statement on Sunday evening, department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US and its international partners were "deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation, and the loss of more innocent life." |
| Ceasefire discussions between Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian president in Qatar were due to take place on Monday after being delayed by a day. | Ceasefire discussions between Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian president in Qatar were due to take place on Monday after being delayed by a day. |
| UN chief Ban Ki-moon was also in Doha where he urged Israel to "exercise maximum restraint". | UN chief Ban Ki-moon was also in Doha where he urged Israel to "exercise maximum restraint". |
| "Too many innocent people are dying...(and) living in constant fear," he told a news conference in Doha. | "Too many innocent people are dying...(and) living in constant fear," he told a news conference in Doha. |
| The Palestinian death toll soared to 476 after the bloodiest single day in Gaza in five years, with a spokesman for the enclave's emergency services saying more than a third of Sunday's 120 victims were women and children. | The Palestinian death toll soared to 476 after the bloodiest single day in Gaza in five years, with a spokesman for the enclave's emergency services saying more than a third of Sunday's 120 victims were women and children. |
| Speaking with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telephone early Monday, Obama expressed his concern over the deaths on both sides, the White House said in a statement. | Speaking with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telephone early Monday, Obama expressed his concern over the deaths on both sides, the White House said in a statement. |
| In their second call in three days, Obama "reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself" and called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza. | In their second call in three days, Obama "reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself" and called for an "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza. |
| David Cameron also spoke with Netanyahu, reiterating "the UK's strong support for Israel's right to take proportionate action to defend itself from" Gaza rockets, while expressing condolences over the Israeli deaths and concern over the "mounting civilian casualties in Gaza." | David Cameron also spoke with Netanyahu, reiterating "the UK's strong support for Israel's right to take proportionate action to defend itself from" Gaza rockets, while expressing condolences over the Israeli deaths and concern over the "mounting civilian casualties in Gaza." |
| Cameron agreed with Netanyahu that the way out of the "spiral of violence" was through the Egyptian ceasefire initiative, a spokesman for Cameron said. | Cameron agreed with Netanyahu that the way out of the "spiral of violence" was through the Egyptian ceasefire initiative, a spokesman for Cameron said. |
| So far, truce efforts have been rejected by Hamas which has pressed on with its own attacks, undaunted by the Israeli bombardment by land, sea and air. | So far, truce efforts have been rejected by Hamas which has pressed on with its own attacks, undaunted by the Israeli bombardment by land, sea and air. |
| The Doctors Without Borders charity urged Israel to "stop bombing civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip", noting the majority of the injured arriving in the Al-Shifa hospital were women and children. | The Doctors Without Borders charity urged Israel to "stop bombing civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip", noting the majority of the injured arriving in the Al-Shifa hospital were women and children. |
| "While the official line is that the ground offensive is aimed at destroying tunnels, what we see on the ground is that bombing is indiscriminate and that those who are dying are civilians," the French NGO said in a statement. | "While the official line is that the ground offensive is aimed at destroying tunnels, what we see on the ground is that bombing is indiscriminate and that those who are dying are civilians," the French NGO said in a statement. |