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| Israel and Hamas to Consider Cease-Fire in Gaza | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| JERUSALEM — Both the Israeli government and leaders of Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza, said late Monday that they would consider a plan for a cease-fire put forward by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. | |
| The developments came as international calls mounted for a truce in the hostilities that erupted a week ago between Hamas and Israel. Officials in the region and the Egyptian state media said that Secretary of State John Kerry was expected to arrive in Cairo on Tuesday. | |
| Israeli officials said the country’s security cabinet would meet early on Tuesday to study the Egyptian proposal, which calls for a swift halt to attacks by both sides, followed by a 48-hour cooling-off period and then talks aimed at a more lasting truce. The Egyptian government, which is not friendly to Hamas, presented the plan to Arab League foreign ministers at a meeting Monday evening. | |
| There was little letup in the hostilities on Monday. Israel continued its air offensive against militant groups in Gaza and rockets continued to fly out of Gaza into Israel. One rocket struck a Bedouin encampment in the Negev desert and injured two sisters ages 15 and 10, according to the Israeli police, who said one of the girls’ injuries were severe. | |
| The Israeli military also intercepted an unmanned aircraft flown from Gaza, blowing it apart in midair just offshore from the Israeli port city of Ashdod, a spokesman said. The drone attack by Hamas added a new element to the week-old conflict. | |
| The military wing of Hamas claimed on Monday that it had sent “a number of drones” flying into Israel on “special missions,” saying on its website that the aircraft were one of the “surprises” it had promised over the last week. | The military wing of Hamas claimed on Monday that it had sent “a number of drones” flying into Israel on “special missions,” saying on its website that the aircraft were one of the “surprises” it had promised over the last week. |
| The death toll in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes continued to mount. Pierre Krähenbühl, the commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, which assists Palestinian refugees, said in a news briefing that he was “deeply alarmed and affected by the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and the devastating human and physical toll it is taking on civilians, including Palestine refugees.” | The death toll in Gaza from Israeli airstrikes continued to mount. Pierre Krähenbühl, the commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, which assists Palestinian refugees, said in a news briefing that he was “deeply alarmed and affected by the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and the devastating human and physical toll it is taking on civilians, including Palestine refugees.” |
| He put the toll at about 180 killed and more than 1,100 wounded, saying it appeared that “women and children make up a sizable number of victims of the current strikes.” | |
| According to a statement issued by his office, Mr. Krähenbühl called on the Israeli Army to “put an end to attacks against, or endangering, civilians and civilian infrastructure, which are contrary to international humanitarian law.” He also called for an end to rocket fire from Gaza aimed at Israel, which the United Nations has described as indiscriminate. | According to a statement issued by his office, Mr. Krähenbühl called on the Israeli Army to “put an end to attacks against, or endangering, civilians and civilian infrastructure, which are contrary to international humanitarian law.” He also called for an end to rocket fire from Gaza aimed at Israel, which the United Nations has described as indiscriminate. |
| Israeli troops are massed at the border with Gaza, awaiting a government decision about whether to mount a ground operation, which would probably cause significantly more casualties. | Israeli troops are massed at the border with Gaza, awaiting a government decision about whether to mount a ground operation, which would probably cause significantly more casualties. |
| Israeli military officials say they are operating with as much caution as possible to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, and have taken pains to explain what they call the challenging environment in which they are operating. They say Hamas has placed rockets and launchers in and near homes, schools and hospitals, and they accuse militant groups of using the civilian population of Gaza as human shields. | Israeli military officials say they are operating with as much caution as possible to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, and have taken pains to explain what they call the challenging environment in which they are operating. They say Hamas has placed rockets and launchers in and near homes, schools and hospitals, and they accuse militant groups of using the civilian population of Gaza as human shields. |
| In a telephone interview, the commander of the 107th Squadron, which is engaged in Gaza using F-16 fighters, said the air force was working methodically according to “a clear policy of minimum harm to civilians,” but that everybody knew Gaza was not a “sterile area.” Under military rules governing the interview, the squadron commander cannot be identified by name. | In a telephone interview, the commander of the 107th Squadron, which is engaged in Gaza using F-16 fighters, said the air force was working methodically according to “a clear policy of minimum harm to civilians,” but that everybody knew Gaza was not a “sterile area.” Under military rules governing the interview, the squadron commander cannot be identified by name. |
| It was not immediately clear whether the Hamas drone that was intercepted off Ashdod, 14 miles north of the Gaza Strip, was carrying explosives or surveillance equipment. The Israeli military said it downed the drone using a Patriot surface-to-air missile. | It was not immediately clear whether the Hamas drone that was intercepted off Ashdod, 14 miles north of the Gaza Strip, was carrying explosives or surveillance equipment. The Israeli military said it downed the drone using a Patriot surface-to-air missile. |
| “It was shot to smithereens,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman. | “It was shot to smithereens,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman. |
| The Israeli defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, said in a statement that “Hamas is trying to chalk up an achievement at any price.” | The Israeli defense minister, Moshe Yaalon, said in a statement that “Hamas is trying to chalk up an achievement at any price.” |
| Israel has intercepted other drones in recent years, including at least two flown by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group. The Israel Defense Forces claimed to have destroyed a drone-manufacturing facility in Gaza in 2012 during a round of cross-border fighting. | Israel has intercepted other drones in recent years, including at least two flown by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group. The Israel Defense Forces claimed to have destroyed a drone-manufacturing facility in Gaza in 2012 during a round of cross-border fighting. |
| The military wing of Hamas claimed on its website that it had mounted three drone sorties of at least two aircraft each over Israel on Monday, including one it said had hovered over the Tel Aviv headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces. Colonel Lerner said that while he could not rule out other drone flights, he was not aware of any sortie over Tel Aviv. | The military wing of Hamas claimed on its website that it had mounted three drone sorties of at least two aircraft each over Israel on Monday, including one it said had hovered over the Tel Aviv headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces. Colonel Lerner said that while he could not rule out other drone flights, he was not aware of any sortie over Tel Aviv. |
| The Israeli military also found itself involved in a clash on Monday in the West Bank, where troops shot and killed a Palestinian man in the village of Samua. The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, identified the dead man as Munir Ahmed Hamdan al-Badarin, 21. An Israeli military spokesman said initial information indicated that several Palestinians had been throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli cars and that one or more soldiers opened fire in response. The spokesman said the episode was under investigation. | The Israeli military also found itself involved in a clash on Monday in the West Bank, where troops shot and killed a Palestinian man in the village of Samua. The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, identified the dead man as Munir Ahmed Hamdan al-Badarin, 21. An Israeli military spokesman said initial information indicated that several Palestinians had been throwing stones and firebombs at Israeli cars and that one or more soldiers opened fire in response. The spokesman said the episode was under investigation. |