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| Pressure grows for Gaza ceasefire | Pressure grows for Gaza ceasefire |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon is heading for talks with Israeli leaders, amid signs of progress in efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. | United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon is heading for talks with Israeli leaders, amid signs of progress in efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. |
| More than 1,000 Gazans and 13 Israelis have reportedly died as Israel's war on Hamas militants enters its 20th day. | More than 1,000 Gazans and 13 Israelis have reportedly died as Israel's war on Hamas militants enters its 20th day. |
| Hamas officials on Wednesday said they were happy with the broad outlines of an Egyptian peace initiative, but details remained to be worked out. | Hamas officials on Wednesday said they were happy with the broad outlines of an Egyptian peace initiative, but details remained to be worked out. |
| Israel's chief negotiator Amos Gilad is expected in Cairo for talks later. | Israel's chief negotiator Amos Gilad is expected in Cairo for talks later. |
| In other developments:
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| Intense diplomacy | Intense diplomacy |
| Mr Ban is meeting regional leaders as part of the most intensive diplomatic efforts yet to end the fighting. Aid diary: Water shortageBowen diary: Syrian warningGazan families: Pulling togetherIn pictures: Inching into Gaza | Mr Ban is meeting regional leaders as part of the most intensive diplomatic efforts yet to end the fighting. Aid diary: Water shortageBowen diary: Syrian warningGazan families: Pulling togetherIn pictures: Inching into Gaza |
| Egypt has been leading efforts to broker a ceasefire that could include a peacekeeping force being deployed along its border with Gaza to prevent the smuggling of weapons. | Egypt has been leading efforts to broker a ceasefire that could include a peacekeeping force being deployed along its border with Gaza to prevent the smuggling of weapons. |
| After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, the UN chief said he hoped Egypt's initiative would deliver results. | After talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday, the UN chief said he hoped Egypt's initiative would deliver results. |
| He said it was intolerable that civilians were bearing the brunt of the conflict. | He said it was intolerable that civilians were bearing the brunt of the conflict. |
| Egypt and other key Arab players can do some coaxing and arm-twisting with Hamas, says BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi, but there is little pressure they can bring to bear upon Israel: only the US has that sort of influence. | Egypt and other key Arab players can do some coaxing and arm-twisting with Hamas, says BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi, but there is little pressure they can bring to bear upon Israel: only the US has that sort of influence. |
| Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil said his movement had presented a "detailed vision" of how to bring about a ceasefire to Egyptian negotiators. | Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil said his movement had presented a "detailed vision" of how to bring about a ceasefire to Egyptian negotiators. |
| These details concerned how to ensure border crossings into Gaza could be re-opened under international supervision, he said, and would be presented to Israeli envoys visiting Cairo. | These details concerned how to ensure border crossings into Gaza could be re-opened under international supervision, he said, and would be presented to Israeli envoys visiting Cairo. |
| Hamas, which controls Gaza, has said any ceasefire agreement would have to include a halt to Israeli attacks, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the opening of border crossings to end the blockade of Gaza. | Hamas, which controls Gaza, has said any ceasefire agreement would have to include a halt to Israeli attacks, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the opening of border crossings to end the blockade of Gaza. |
| Israel has said it will not agree to a deal that does not guarantee an end to Hamas's smuggling of weapons across the Egyptian border and the cessation of rocket attacks into southern Israel, our analyst adds. | Israel has said it will not agree to a deal that does not guarantee an end to Hamas's smuggling of weapons across the Egyptian border and the cessation of rocket attacks into southern Israel, our analyst adds. |
| Fuelling extremism | Fuelling extremism |
| Israel launched its offensive on the coastal enclave on 27 December and has refused to allow international journalists to enter Gaza, making it impossible to independently confirm casualty figures. | Israel launched its offensive on the coastal enclave on 27 December and has refused to allow international journalists to enter Gaza, making it impossible to independently confirm casualty figures. |
| Syrian president on Gaza conflict | Syrian president on Gaza conflict |
| The offensive has provoked widespread international condemnation at the cost in civilian casualties and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave. | The offensive has provoked widespread international condemnation at the cost in civilian casualties and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave. |
| A BBC correspondent in Egypt who saw children with gunshot wounds said he had been given detailed accounts by Palestinian civilians of how they and their children had been fired at by Israeli soldiers. | A BBC correspondent in Egypt who saw children with gunshot wounds said he had been given detailed accounts by Palestinian civilians of how they and their children had been fired at by Israeli soldiers. |
| An Israeli army spokeswoman said Israel did not deliberately target civilians. | An Israeli army spokeswoman said Israel did not deliberately target civilians. |
| "We don't shoot innocent people, not underhand, not deliberately," Major Avital Laybovitz told the BBC. "We only shoot when there is a life and death situation or when there is fire opening at us." | "We don't shoot innocent people, not underhand, not deliberately," Major Avital Laybovitz told the BBC. "We only shoot when there is a life and death situation or when there is fire opening at us." |
| President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has warned Israel's campaign was fuelling extremism in the Arab and Muslim world. | President Bashar al-Assad of Syria has warned Israel's campaign was fuelling extremism in the Arab and Muslim world. |
| GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND In depth: Gaza conflictQ&A: Gaza conflictWho are Hamas?Middle East conflict: History in maps "The effect of war is more dangerous than war. It is sowing seeds of extremism around the region," Mr Assad said in an exclusive BBC interview. | GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND In depth: Gaza conflictQ&A: Gaza conflictWho are Hamas?Middle East conflict: History in maps "The effect of war is more dangerous than war. It is sowing seeds of extremism around the region," Mr Assad said in an exclusive BBC interview. |
| A meeting of countries belonging to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Turkey on Wednesday condemned Israel's military offensive and demanded an immediate ceasefire. | A meeting of countries belonging to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in Turkey on Wednesday condemned Israel's military offensive and demanded an immediate ceasefire. |
| Venezuela and Bolivia have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel in a protest against its Gaza offensive. | Venezuela and Bolivia have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel in a protest against its Gaza offensive. |
| Meanwhile, a newly-released audiotape said to feature the voice of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden called for a holy war to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza. | Meanwhile, a newly-released audiotape said to feature the voice of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden called for a holy war to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza. |
| The authenticity of the tape could not be independently verified. | The authenticity of the tape could not be independently verified. |