This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/11/israeli-air-strikes-gaza-continue-us-barack-obama-offers-broker-ceasefire
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Israeli air strikes on Gaza continue as US offers to broker ceasefire | Israeli air strikes on Gaza continue as US offers to broker ceasefire |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israel is keeping up air strikes on Gaza but has failed to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets across the border, as the US offered to help negotiate a truce. | |
| Gaza medical officials said four people were killed in pre-dawn attacks on Friday. The Israeli military said fresh naval and air strikes were launched early on Friday, but a spokeswoman gave no further details. | |
| With the violence escalating, Barack Obama said in a phone call on Thursday to the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, that Washington was willing to broker a ceasefire. | |
| Obama said he was concerned the fighting could escalate and called for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians, the White House said. | Obama said he was concerned the fighting could escalate and called for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians, the White House said. |
| At least 80 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the offensive, which Israel says it launched to end rocket attacks, some of which have reached Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities. | At least 80 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in the offensive, which Israel says it launched to end rocket attacks, some of which have reached Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other cities. |
| An air strike on a house in Gaza City early on Friday killed a man described by officials as a doctor and pharmacist. Medics and residents said an Israeli aircraft bombed a three-storey house in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing three people. | An air strike on a house in Gaza City early on Friday killed a man described by officials as a doctor and pharmacist. Medics and residents said an Israeli aircraft bombed a three-storey house in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing three people. |
| Palestinians said Israeli tanks fired shells east of Rafah, naval forces sent shells into a security compound in Gaza City and aircraft bombed positions near the borders with Egypt and Israel. | Palestinians said Israeli tanks fired shells east of Rafah, naval forces sent shells into a security compound in Gaza City and aircraft bombed positions near the borders with Egypt and Israel. |
| The rocket salvoes into Israel have caused no fatalities or serious injuries, due in part to interception by the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defence system. The anti-missile system has intercepted at least 70 projectiles destined for population centres in Israel. | The rocket salvoes into Israel have caused no fatalities or serious injuries, due in part to interception by the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defence system. The anti-missile system has intercepted at least 70 projectiles destined for population centres in Israel. |
| But the wail of air raid sirens has paralysed business in southern communities and sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for shelter in Tel Aviv, the country's commercial capital, where two rockets were shot down on Thursday. Offices and shops have remained open and roads are clogged with traffic. | But the wail of air raid sirens has paralysed business in southern communities and sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for shelter in Tel Aviv, the country's commercial capital, where two rockets were shot down on Thursday. Offices and shops have remained open and roads are clogged with traffic. |
| On Friday, one rocket hit a petrol station in Israel's port city of Ashdod, causing a huge blaze and at least three people were seriously wounded, an ambulance spokesman said. | |
| Lebanese security sources said two rockets were fired into northern Israel on Friday but they did not know who had fired them. Israel responded with artillery fire at the source of the rockets. | Lebanese security sources said two rockets were fired into northern Israel on Friday but they did not know who had fired them. Israel responded with artillery fire at the source of the rockets. |
| Appeals for an immediate truce also came from the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, at an emergency meeting on Thursday of the security council, saying a ceasefire was "more urgent than ever". | |
| The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, issued a similar plea in a phone call to Netanyahu, urging an immediate end to the bloodshed and expressing concern about civilian casualties. | The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, issued a similar plea in a phone call to Netanyahu, urging an immediate end to the bloodshed and expressing concern about civilian casualties. |
| Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Thursday: "So far the battle is progressing as planned, but we can expect further stages in future. Up to now, we have hit Hamas and the terror organisations hard and as the battle continues we will increase strikes at them." | Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Thursday: "So far the battle is progressing as planned, but we can expect further stages in future. Up to now, we have hit Hamas and the terror organisations hard and as the battle continues we will increase strikes at them." |