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| Gaza pounded amid push for truce | Gaza pounded amid push for truce |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Israel's chief negotiator is to travel to Cairo to discuss an Egyptian ceasefire plan that could end the 20-day-old conflict in the Gaza Strip. | Israel's chief negotiator is to travel to Cairo to discuss an Egyptian ceasefire plan that could end the 20-day-old conflict in the Gaza Strip. |
| As an Israeli spokesman talked of diplomatic "momentum", the Palestinian militant group Hamas said the talks had made progress, but did not elaborate. | As an Israeli spokesman talked of diplomatic "momentum", the Palestinian militant group Hamas said the talks had made progress, but did not elaborate. |
| However, intense fighting has continued in Gaza, with Israeli troops pushing deeper into Gaza City. | |
| The UN's relief agency, Unrwa, says its headquarters in Gaza City are on fire. | |
| Spokesman Christopher Gunness said three of its employees were hurt after the compound was hit by five projectiles. | |
| He said the agency would not be able to distribute aid on Thursday as its trucks have been unable to leave the compound. | |
| Militant fire | |
| Israeli military officials say they attacked 70 military targets overnight, including a mosque they say was being used to store weapons. | Israeli military officials say they attacked 70 military targets overnight, including a mosque they say was being used to store weapons. |
| The BBC's Hamada Abu Qammar in Gaza says the coastal enclave has come under extremely heavy artillery fire from the east, and the skies are full of thick smoke. | |
| He said Israeli tanks seemed to be pushing closer to the heart of Gaza City, close to the UN headquarters, and that there were reports of 21 people killed in fighting since the early hours. | He said Israeli tanks seemed to be pushing closer to the heart of Gaza City, close to the UN headquarters, and that there were reports of 21 people killed in fighting since the early hours. |
| People here are starving, they need this war to be stopped, they are calling on someone to intervene and stop this war Rushdi Abu AloufBBC producer in Gaza City Rushdi Abu Alouf, the BBC's Gaza producer, is stuck inside his home in Tal al Hawa, in a residential area south-west of Gaza City. There are Israeli tanks in the area. | |
| "People have been screaming from their balconies, calling for help," he says. | |
| "People here are starving, they need this war to be stopped, they are calling on someone to intervene and stop this war." | |
| He says that from his window he can see fighters from Hamas and other Palestinian factions firing at Israeli tanks from rooftops and balconies, and that the Israeli tanks have been firing back. | |
| He is on the fifth floor, with five other families. He says there has been no electricity for 14 hours, and that the building has been hit two or three times by Israeli tank shells on lower floors. | |
| Reports say at least 15 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel since the early morning. | Reports say at least 15 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel since the early morning. |
| More than 1,000 Gazans and 13 Israelis have reportedly died so far in the conflict. | |
| In other developments:
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| 'Detailed vision' | 'Detailed vision' |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Aid diary: Water shortageBowen diary: Syrian warningGazan families: Pulling togetherIn pictures: Inching into Gaza | Aid diary: Water shortageBowen diary: Syrian warningGazan families: Pulling togetherIn pictures: Inching into Gaza |
| 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. |
| However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said there was "momentum" to the talks. | However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said there was "momentum" to the talks. |
| "Ultimately we want to see a long-term sustainable quiet in the south, a quiet that's going to be based on the total absence of all hostile fire from Gaza into Israel, and an internationally supported mechanism that will prevent Hamas from re-arming," Mark Regev said. | "Ultimately we want to see a long-term sustainable quiet in the south, a quiet that's going to be based on the total absence of all hostile fire from Gaza into Israel, and an internationally supported mechanism that will prevent Hamas from re-arming," Mark Regev said. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND In depth: Gaza conflictQ&A: Gaza conflictWho are Hamas?Middle East conflict: History in maps | |
| 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 Leibovich 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 Leibovich 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. |
| "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. | |