Operation Protective Edge: 3 week's worth of news bulletins on BBC radio 4

TODAY 7/7 (8 am)

Nine Palestinian militants have been killed in Israeli air-strikes on Gaza. The attacks followed a wave of rocket fire from the enclave aimed at communities in southern Israel. Kevin Connolly reports from Jerusalem:

Last weekend there was speculation that some kind of ceasefire between Hamas and Israel may have been imminent. Any such prospect now seems remote after a weekend of intense rocket fire from Gaza and a series of overnight air-strikes from Israel. In the most serious of those strikes it's now reported that six Hamas fighters were killed after the Israeli air-force targeted what the militant group called "a gathering point" at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. A seventh Hamas member died in a separate strike and two other militants were killed in a third. Angry crowds gathered at the hospitals to which the bodies were taken and a Hamas spokesman warned that, in this words, Israel would "pay a price" for what he described as an "escalation".

WORLD AT ONE 7/7 (1 pm)

Israel has sent a rare direct message to Hamas, saying it wants to avoid a further escalation of tension after nine Palestinian militants were killed by Israeli air-raids on Gaza. The bombings followed rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel. Hamas has warned that Israel will pay for the deaths. 

PM 7/7 (5 pm)

No mention.

WORLD TONIGHT 7/7 (10 pm)

No mention.

TODAY 8/7 (8 am)

Israel has carried out overnight air-strikes against dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Army says the operation is aimed at stopping a barrage of rockets fired from the territory. Our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

Israel's overnight air-raids are said to have hit more than 50 targets inside the Gaza Strip, including training sites used by Hamas. Medical sources inside Gaza say a woman and two children were injured in the town of Khan Younis when the home of a Hamas militant was also targeted. A further six people were injured in the air-raids, which Israel now calls Operation Protective Edge. In the hours after the funerals of Hamas fighters killed in previous Israeli air-strikes, 85 rockets were fired at targets in Israel, with air-raid sirens sounding in many town and cities across the south of the country. Last week there was talk from both sides that calm would be answered by calm, and a ceasefire seemed to be within reach. But each now appears to have concluded that the immediate need to respond to fire from the other side outweighs the advantages of a temporary truce. 

WORLD AT ONE 8/7 (1 pm)

Israel is continuing to bomb Gaza in defiance of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who has called for an immediate end to air-strikes. Israel said it was trying to stop rockets being fired from Gaza into towns in the south of the country. Defence sources said that the option of sending troops into Gaza was "not off the table". 

PM 8/7 (5 pm)

The Israeli government has authorised the mobilisation of up to 40,000 reservists who could be sent into the Gaza Strip to deter scores of rocket attacks. Israel carried out numerous air-strikes, which the Palestinians say have killed at least 12 people and injured more than 70. The Secretary General of the Arab League has called for an urgent meeting of the United Nations. 

WORLD TONIGHT 8/7 (10 pm)

Israel has announced plans to call up 40,000 reservists and has begun preparations for a possible ground invasion of Gaza. Military commanders say they have been instructed to hit the Palestinian group "hard" in an attempt to stop rockets being fired from Gaza into southern Israel. This evening Israel said it has had to shoot down rockets aimed at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. In Gaza, at least eleven Palestinians have been killed during Israeli air-raids with Hamas claiming that children were "massacred" by bombing in the city of Khan Younis. The Israeli president, Shimon Peres, said Israel had to defend itself:

They are shooting at our children, at our mothers, at our civilians. What for? We cannot compromise with death. We cannot compromise with rockets. We cannot compromise with this sort of behaviour. And we shall stop them.

TODAY 9/7 (8 am)

Israel has kept up its bombardment of Gaza, saying it has now hit more than 400 targets since the offensive began. Palestinian officials say the number of people killed has risen. Rockets fired from Gaza have reached deeper into Israel. From Jerusalem, here's our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly:

Health Ministry sources in Gaza now report that 25 people have been killed in all, among them four women and three children. Israel hit more than a hundred targets in Gaza overnight. Most were concealed rocket-launching sites but some were buildings that serve a dual purpose, being both homes of Hamas leaders and command centres, according to Israeli military sources. In those cases Israel says it telephones warnings to people inside the buildings to leave before it attacks. Rockets fired from Gaza reached the Jerusalem area in the hours before midnight, although they fell without causing injury. Sirens also sounded in Tel Aviv, where an Iron Dome interceptor missile shot down two rockets. The town of Hadera, more than 60 miles north of Gaza, was attacked - the furthest the rocket fire has so far reached. 

WORLD AT ONE 9/7 (1 pm)

Israel has bombarded Gaza for a second day. Doctors in Gaza City say 35 people have been killed, including some women and children. Palestinian militants in Gaza are continuing to fire missiles deep into Israel. Our correspondent Kevin Connolly reports from Jerusalem:

The casualty figures in Gaza continue to rise inexorably as the conflict intensifies. Reports from Palestinian medical sources say the dead include a senior commander in the militant group Islamic Jihad, Hafez Hammad. He is said to have died with five members of his family, including two women and two children, when a missile hit his house in the hours after midnight. The body of an 80-year-old woman was found in the rubble of her house in the town of Mughraqa, Video footage is circulating of a house in Khan Younis being destroyed by an Israel missile because the family who live there were given a telephone warning to leave by Israeli intelligence. They then called local journalists who arrived in time to film its destruction. Rocket fire continues from Gaza, with Israel's Iron Dome missile system intercepting a number of attacks on Tel Aviv and other targets. 

PM 9/7 (5 pm)

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said the military will intensify attacks on what he called "terrorists" in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians say 43 people have been killed by Israeli air-strikes this week. Israel insists the attacks are a response to rockets being fired from Gaza. From Jerusalem, Kevin Connolly:

Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking after hold consultations with his military commanders in the southern city of Beersheba. He said that Israel would further increase its assault, that Hamas would pay a heavy price and that the military campaign would continue until the firing against Israeli targets stopped. He made his remarks as the death toll in Gaza climbed above 40, with an 80-year-old woman and a number of children among the casualties. The leader of the Hamas Political Bureau, Khaled Meshal, has also been speaking within the last hour, denouncing the United States for its condemnation of the rocket fire from Hamas and its support for the right of Israel to take military action. 

WORLD TONIGHT 9/7 (10 pm)

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said has said the military will intensify attacks on what he called "terrorists" in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians say 43 people have been killed by Israeli air-strikes this week. Israel insists the attacks are a response to rockets being fired from Gaza. From Jerusalem, our correspondent, Kevin Connolly:

As civilians on both sides live through another fraught day of conflict, both Israel and Hamas, in their own different ways, escalated the hostilities. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited military commanders in the southern city of Beersheba and emerged warning his government had decided on an intensification of his campaign, which will go on until the rocket fire against its town and cities ended. Hamas, for its part, fired rockets at more distant cities than it had ever attempted to hit in the past, sending a signal to Israel that it can hit most if not all of the country with longer range rockets. The leader of the Hamas Political Bureau, Khaled Meshal, gave a speech was bitterly critical on the international community's lack of support for the Palestinian people, and for what he called "Israel's crimes".  

TODAY 10/7 (8 am)

An Israeli military spokesman has described the killing of eight people in one house in Gaza on Tuesday as "a tragedy". The occupants left the building in the town of Khan Younis after the air-force issued a warning of an imminent attack but they returned too soon. From Jerusalem, our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports:

Eight people were killed and 25 injured on Tuesday when Israeli aircraft targeted a building in Khan Younis said to be the home of Odeh Kaware, a local Hamas commander. Israeli sources say a telephone warning was given of the imminent attack and a projectile without a warhead was then fired at the building in a second warning manoeuvre sometimes called a "knock on the roof" but they say people began returning to the building in the time between the firing of that warning shot and the firing of the explosive missile which then destroyed the building, killing eight civilians and wounding 25. An Israeli spokesman said, "It's a tragedy. Not what we intended". Palestinian sources now say Khan Younis was bombed again last night and that a beach-side cafe was hit while people were watching the World Cup semi final on television. First reports say nine people died in that attack.  

WORLD AT ONE 10/7 (1 pm)
Israeli air-strikes and Palestinian rocket fire have continued to escalate for a third day. The Israeli army says it's struck more than 300 Hamas targets overnight. Health officials in Gaza say the number of dead has risen to more than 80. There have been no reports of Israeli casualties. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has dismissed the prospect of a ceasefire saying it was "not even on the agenda". Our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

The pattern of hostilities between Israel and the militant groups of Gaza is already grimly familiar but last night it was raised to a whole new level of intensity with the Israeli air force attacking more than 300 targets. Palestinian sources in Gaza say at least eight people were killed with a beach-side cafe in the town of Khan Younis was hit, possibly by naval gunfire, while it was crowded with people following the World Cup football. There has been no official comment so far from Israel on that incident. Militants in Gaza continue to try to hit Israeli cities, with longer range weapons than they've used in the past. The Iron Dome missile defence system has shot down a number of rockets in the skies over Tel Aviv.

PM 10/7 (5 pm)
No mention.

WORLD TONIGHT 10/7 (10 pm)
The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, has urged restraint from both Israel and the Palestinians, warning that the Middle East cannot afford another full-blown war. Medical officials say more than 80 people have been killed in Gaza since the latest unrest began three days ago. There have been no reports of Israeli fatalities despite continuing rocket fire by the Palestinians into Israel.

TODAY 11/7 (8 am)
President Obama says his government is willing to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. More than 90 people are reported to have been killed in the latest Israeli air attacks on the territory launched in response to Palestinian fire across the border. Mr Obama made the offer in a phone call to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as Kevin Connolly reports from Jerusalem:

The personal relationship between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu is not thought to be warm but the United States remains Israel's closest and most important supporter. So Mr Obama was careful to condemn the continuing rocket fire at Israel and reaffirm the country's right to self-defence, but as the death toll in Gaza approaches a hundred - with more than 600 now reported injured - he also spoke of the need to restore calm and protect the right of civilians. Mr Obama said the United States remains ready to facilitate a cessation of hostilities - a process that would probably involve Qatar, which has contacts with Hamas, and Egypt, which will be in a position to ease its stranglehold on the smuggling tunnels into Gaza, which are an economic lifeline for  the Palestinian militants. 

WORLD AT ONE 11/7 (1 pm)
Officials in the Gaza Strip say the number of Palestinians killed during the past four days of Israeli air-strikes has reached 100. Militants in Gaza have continued to fire rockets into Israel and for the first time since the current hostilities began rockets have been fired into northern Israel from Lebanon. No Israelis have died in the exchanges. The Middle East envoy, Tony Blair, has said short-term efforts to end the fighting will fail without a long-term plan for peace. Our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

The death toll in Gaza reached the grim new milestone when two men travelling in a car near a refugee camp in the centre of the territory were hit in a missile strike. The United States have spoken of its willingness to help bring about a cessation of hostilities, but no one in the Middle East thinks a ceasefire is imminent. Israeli politicians speak of their willingness to see through a long campaign and there's considerable speculation about whether they'll send in ground forces to hunt for weapon stockpiles in Gaza. For their part Palestinian militants now say they're targeting Israel's main civilian airport - Ben Gurion, near Tel Aviv. The country's missile defence system, Iron Dome, has shot down several incoming rockets in the area.

PM 11/7 (5 pm)
The number of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli air-strikes in the past four days has now reached 100. Israel says it's responding to rockets being fired into Gaza. The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner has warned that the action could breach international law but the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says international pressure won't stop it from acting against militants. The U.N. also said Palestinian groups should ensure military assets weren't in densely-populated areas. From Jerusalem our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports:

On the fourth day of hostilities the grim milestone of a hundred dead in Gaza was passed and nearly 700 people have now been injured there. Many of the casualties are civilians. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks broadcast on national television, strongly defended Israel's tactics whilst acknowledging they had caused some civilian casualties. He said that was because Hamas has concealed military hardware in civilian areas effectively using people as human shields. "We use force to protect our people," said Mr Netanyahu, "and they use people to protect their force".

WORLD TONIGHT 11/7 (10 pm)
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said no amount of international pressure will stop his country acting against what he called "terrorists" in Gaza. The number of Palestinians killed during four days of Israeli airstrikes has reached 100. The U.N. Human Rights Commissioner said she had "serious doubts" about whether the Israeli operation complied with international law. She also criticised Palestinian militants for firing rockets into Israel from civilian areas. From Jerusalem, Kevin Connolly:

On the fourth day of hostilities the grim milestone of a hundred dead in Gaza was passed and nearly 700 people have now been injured there. Many of the casualties are civilians. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks broadcast on national television, strongly defended Israel's tactics whilst acknowledging they had caused some civilian casualties. He said that was because Hamas concealed military hardware in civilian areas, effectively using people as human shields. "We use force to protect our people," said Mr Netanyahu, "and they use people to protect their force".

TODAY 12/7 (8 am)
Israel has carried out further air-strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip overnight and militant groups have aimed rocket fire at Israeli cities. Health officials say 121 Palestinians have now died since Israel began its military operation early on Tuesday. Our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

In the chaos and confusion of night-time bombing it can be difficult to account for all the killed and injured and to assess damage but Palestinian medical officials report that a building hit in the town of Beit Lahiya was the home of a charitable association for people with disabilities. Two of the people cared for there, both teenagers, are said to have been killed. There were three more deaths when a house in a refugee camp was hit, killing an activist in Islamic Jihad and two other men. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid has calculated that 77% of the people killed in Gaza so far have been civilians. The rocket fire from Gaza continued too, with aid-raid sirens sounding in the middle of the night in at least two areas of southern Israel. There are now said to be intense discussions underway between diplomats of the United Nations in New York but for  the moment there is no sense they are anywhere near finding a ceasefire formula which would be acceptable to both sides.  

NEWS 12/7 (1 pm)
A United Nations agency says more than three-quarters of the Palestinians who've died in Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip have been civilians. Palestinian officials say the number of people killed since the Israeli offensive began five days ago has risen to more than 120. More rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza today. No Israelis have died. Last night an Israeli air-strike hit a home for disabled people killing two women. Here's our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

The work of searching the rubble of shattered buildings for the bodies of the dead and badly injured is already a daily routine in Gaza. Today in the town of Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of the strip it seems especially heartbreaking. Among the buildings hit was a residential home for disabled people there. Two women who were cared for in the institution and who were said to be unable to move during the attack were killed. Four more people were seriously injured. Local people who saw the carnage were angry and bewildered:

"After the dawn prayer we heard a massive explosion. I shocked the whole neighbourhood. I looked to see what was happening. We were very surprised that they had hit this centre because we were expecting the Israelis to hit places linked to militants or empty land like they usually do. But we never expected the Israelis to bomb a place where they have disabled people unable to walk."

The Israeli army has issued a statement dismissing concerns raised by the United Nations that the targeting of homes of militant commanders, on the grounds that they might also be used for military purposes, could be a war crime. The statement insisted the targets were lawful and said Israel gave warnings before launching attacks. It said, instead of questioning Israel, the international community should be asking Hamas why it concealed its military hardware in civilian settings. It accused Hamas of war crimes. There's been no statement yet from Israel on the attack at Beit Lahiya. 

PM 12/7 (5 pm)
The United Nations says three-quarters of Palestinians killed in the continuing Israeli air-strikes on Gaza have been civilians. Palestinian officials say more than 120 people have died since Tuesday. The Foreign Secretary, William Hague, who's meeting the American Secretary of State in Vienna tomorrow, has called for a ceasefire. Israel has defended its actions arguing that militants have fired hundreds of rockets into its territory. Yolande Knell reports from Gaza:

This woman fell down with grief after she arrived at a care centre for disabled adults in northern Gaza. Her sister's body has just been found in the rubble. No explanation's been given for this air-strike by Israel. Its armed forces say they're targeting sites used by Palestinians to make, store and launch rockets but the United Nations says three-quarters of those killed since Tuesday were civilians. No one in Israel's been killed so far, but missiles are still being fired from Gaza towards its towns and cities. Meanwhile, Israeli air-raids have hit a mosque here, said to have hidden weapons. Two nephews of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, were among six killed outside their home. 

NEWS 12/7 (10 pm)
At least 15 people are reported to have been killed in an Israeli air-strike on the home of Gaza's police chief tonight. The Israeli army has also warned people living in the northern Gaza Strip to leave their homes for their own safety as a spokesman said it was unsafe to be near Hamas. Palestinian officials say the number of people killed over the past five days has risen to more than 150. The U.N. Security Council has called for a ceasefire. Its president, Eugene Gasana, said the Council was worried about the growing number of civilians being killed and injured:

Security Council members called for de-escalation of the situation, restoration of calm and the re-re-institution of the November 2012 ceasefire. The Security Council members further called for respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. 

Last night Israeli war planes hit a mosque where they say weapons had been stored and a centre for disabled people where two women died. More rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza and Lebanon but no one has been killed. Our correspondent Yolande Knell sent this report from Gaza:

Another attack from the sky. The Israeli strike caused chaos on this residential street in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Later another raid killed six people outside the house belonging to the nephews on one of the top political leaders from Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. Meanwhile, to the north of the Gaza Strip there were cries as a body was pulled from the rubble at a care centre for adults with severe disabilities. The Israeli military gave a warning it was about to attack but there wasn't enough time to move the residents away. Two women were killed here. Sahila Abu Sada was the sister of one. "I'd like to ask the world one question: Has she ever fired rockets?", she says. "They were handicapped. They hit them with a rocket.  What had they done wrong?" The United Nations calculates that three-quarters of the Palestinians killed here since Tuesday were civilians, but Israel blames militants in Gaza for these deaths, saying that they hide their weapons and their leaders among the civilian population. The Israeli Prime Minister's spokesman, Mark Regev, says the aim of the military operation is to stop Palestinian rockets being fired into his country:

Our goal is to protect our people. Our goal is to end the rocket fire from Gaza on our civilians. Hamas must understand that it cannot continue to shoot rockets at Israel with impunity. 

Israel's called up thousands of reservists and said it's not ruling out a ground invasion of Gaza. Its Defence Minister has told Israelis to ready themselves for several more days of fighting. 

BROADCASTING HOUSE 13/7 (9 am)
Israel has used ground troops for the first time in its operation against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. Special forces attacked a site which Israel said was being used to fire rockets at Israeli cities. In the continuing air-raids on Gaza, 17 members of the same Palestinian family are said to have been killed. Our correspondent, Quentin Somerville, who's in Jerusalem, has more details:

Overnight Israeli ground troops, naval special forces, entered Gaza for the first time. They attacked a suspected long-range rocket launch site belonging to Hamas. Four Israeli commandos were hurt in a gun battle with the militants. Hamas says they never made it ashore. Israeli air-strikes continued to hit Gaza. One attack on a building belonging to the Hamas police chief killed 17 members of his family. Israel's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defence system has prevented a single Israeli death. However, sirens continued to sound across the country as Hamas targeted Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and elsewhere with longer-range rockets. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, neither side seems willing to bring the conflict to a halt. 

WORLD THIS WEEKEND 13/7 (1 pm)
Israel is stepping up its military campaign against militants firing rockets into its territory from Gaza. It has warned Palestinians in the north of Gaza to leave their homes before it carries out more air-strikes. Israeli ground troops have also been used briefly. Palestinian officials say 17 people were killed at the home of a police chief, taking the total killed since Tuesday to more than 160. The Israeli army says militants in Gaza have fired more than 800 rockets over the last five days. From Jerusalem, our correspondent, Quentin Somerville:

The Israeli air force dropped leaflets across northern Gaza warning people to leave their homes ahead of a bombing campaign. By early afternoon it was still mostly quiet but as many as 4,000 Palestinians had fled and sought shelter in schools and elsewhere. Overnight an attack on a building belonging to the Hamas police chief killed 17 members of his family. Scores of Palestinians have been killed in the six-day offensive, many women, children and the elderly. Israel's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defence has so far prevented a single Israeli death. However, throughout the day, sirens continued to sound across the country as more rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israeli cities. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, neither side seems willing to bring this conflict to a halt.

NEWS 13/7 (6 pm)
International appeals for a ceasefire in the Middle East haven't stopped the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel has continued to bomb parts of Gaza and the Palestinian group Hamas has fired more missiles into Israel. Several thousand Palestinians have left their homes in northern Gaza after being warned that more air raids were coming. In the intense violence last night at least 20 people were killed. There were chaotic scenes as the casualties arrived at the hospitals. The Palestinians say more than 160 people have been killed in more than six days of attacks. Our Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, is in Gaza:

For much of the night the wounded and the dead were brought into Shifa, Gaza's main hospital. It was the most sustained bombing so far. For Israel, with American support, it's self defence but, as more Palestinian civilians die, the pressure for a ceasefire is growing. At the mortuary blood covered the floor as staff prepared 17 members of the al-Batsh family for burial, including five children. The bodies of two children were squeezed onto one shelf. They were running out of room. Israel isn't trying to win friends in the Gaza Strip. It does want to weaken Hamas as an organisation, but every time civilians die Hamas gets a popularity boost. The Israelis say Hamas attacks their people and is, therefore, responsible for civilian deaths when Israel retaliates. But no Palestinian will listen to that. At times like this in Gaza life and death are overshadowed by one reality. Almost seventy years of conflict with Israel and no prospect it will end. Thousands of people left their homes in northern Gaza after Israel warned it might expand its operations. The displaced families, just as in the last two wars between Hamas and Israel, are in U.N. schools. Mohammed Maroof, the head of one big family - he has nine children and more than 100 grandchildren -  rejected Israeli claims that Hamas was using civilians as human shields.

Warning sirens have been sounding throughout the day in areas of Israel close to the border with Gaza. People have been taking refuge in shelters. The Israeli army says its missile system shot down two rockets over Tel Aviv. Earlier two rockets were brought down near the international airport at Lod. Israeli commandos went into Gaza last night to attack a rocket-launching site. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the campaign against those he called "terrorist groups" in Gaza would take a long time. From Ashdod, here's Quentin Somerville:

"Do you speak Hebrew?", an Israeli soldier asks in this military recording. When Israel strikes Gaza, this is the warning it gives to those on the ground. "You have five minutes to leave", says the voice on the phone, and shortly afterwards a missile hits. The calls are meant to minimise civilian casualties but still scores of Palestinian women and children die when the missiles strike. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the blame for that lies with Hamas:

Hamas uses the residents of Gaza as a human shield and is bringing disaster on the residents of Gaza and, therefore, the responsibility for any harm done to civilians in Gaza - which we regret - the responsibility is that of Hamas and its partners, and them alone.

Sirens sounded across the country today from first light as rockets from Gaza continued to hit Israel, but the country's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted the most dangerous. Six days into this conflict there hasn't been a single Israeli death from a Hamas rocket. Despite the growing number of civilian casualties in Gaza, in Israel more than 90% of Israelis support the air campaign. Israel's tanks stand ready to invade Gaza but for a ground offensive there isn't widespread support. That for now maybe all that's stopping this conflict from escalating.

WESTMINSTER HOUR 13/7 (10 pm)
Israel has launched more attacks on Gaza. Calls from the U.N., Britain and America for an end to the violence in the Middle East hasn't had an impact. The Palestinian group Hamas has fired rockets into Israel. Israel has continued to bomb Gaza. Hundreds of residents in the northern part of Gaza left their homes after a warning that attacks were coming. The Palestinians say more than 160 people have been killed over the last six days. Our Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen is in Gaza:
For much of the night the wounded and the dead were brought into Shifa, Gaza's main hospital. It was the most sustained bombing so far. For Israel, with American support, it's self defence but, as more Palestinian civilians die, the pressure for a ceasefire is growing. At the mortuary blood covered the floor as staff prepared 17 members of the al-Batsh family for burial, including five children. The bodies of two of the children were squeezed onto one shelf. They were running out of room. Israel isn't trying to win friends in the Gaza Strip. It does want to weaken Hamas as an organisation, but every time Palestinian civilians die Hamas gets a popularity boost. The Israelis say Hamas attacks their people and is, therefore, responsible for civilian deaths when Israel retaliates. But no Palestinian will listen to that.
Israeli's too have been taking shelter as the Palestinians fired more rockets across the border. The Israeli army says it's succeeded in intercepting two missiles heading for Tel Aviv and two flying towards Israel's international airport at Lod. Our correspondent, Quentin Somerville, is in the Israeli city of Ashdod:

"Do you speak Hebrew?", an Israeli soldier asks in this military recording. When Israel strikes Gaza, this is the warning it gives to those on the ground. "You have five minutes to leave", says the voice on the phone, and shortly afterwards a missile hits. The calls are meant to minimise civilian casualties but still scores of Palestinian women and children die when the missiles strike. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says the blame for that lies with Hamas:

Hamas uses the residents of Gaza as a human shield and is bringing disaster on the residents of Gaza and, therefore, the responsibility for any harm done to civilians in Gaza - which we regret - the responsibility is that of Hamas and its partners, and them alone.

Sirens sounded across the country today from first light as rockets from Gaza continued to hit Israel, but the country's sophisticated Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted the most dangerous. Six days into this conflict there hasn't been a single Israeli death from a Hamas rocket. 

TODAY 14/7 (8 am)
The United Nations says that 17,000 people in Gaza have taken shelter in its buildings as the crisis there shows no sign of abating. Overnight Israel launched further air-strikes and more rockets were fired at Israeli territory, including from Lebanon and Syria. From Jerusalem, our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports:

Israel's weekend warning to civilians in the north of the Gaza Strip to get out of the area around the town of Beit Lahiya in advance of heavy air-raids was seen as a signal that no immediate end to this conflict is within sight. Some civilians ignored the warnings. Others fled on donkey carts waving white flags. Rocket fire into Israel continued overnight, and so did Israeli air-raids on Gaza. One news agency is reporting here that 11 militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad were killed in those attacks. Rockets have also been fired into northern Israel from Lebanon and into the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights from Syria. Israel responded swiftly with heavy artillery fire. It doesn't want to see other fronts opening up. There are also reports that a drone operated by Hamas was shot down over the Israeli city of Ashdod.

WORLD AT ONE 14/7 (1 pm)
Israel believes the Palestinians have used an unmanned aircraft, or drone, for the first time. The drone was shot down by an Israeli missile over a city north of the border with Gaza. The Israelis carried out more air-raids on the Palestinian territory during the night. The European Union says it's been in contact with all the parties to the conflict and has urged them to exercise restraint. Our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports:

Israel has now attacked almost 1,500 targets in Gaza since the current round of this conflict began and says any civilian casualties are the fault of Hamas, which it accuses of using local people as human shields. Several thousand civilians, who heeded Israeli warnings to flee the area around the town of Beit Lahiya, have now taken shelter with the U.N., anticipating heavy attacks around their homes. The Israeli army is looking for the debris from a drone said to have been launched by Hamas which reached the skies over the Israeli city of Ashdod before it was shot down by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile. It's not clear if it was carrying explosives. There are continuing international calls for a ceasefire but no obvious sign yet that any behind-the-scenes contacts are close to producing one. 

PM 14/7 (5 pm)
The United Nations says 17,000 Palestinians from northern Gaza have taken shelter in schools after Israel said it would start targeting the area. Israel has been pressing on with its offensive against militants firing rockets from Gaza despite international pressure for a ceasefire. Here, the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said that 27 British nationals and their Palestinian dependents were evacuated from Gaza last night.

WORLD TONIGHT 14/7 (10 pm)
Egypt has put forward proposals designed to end the exchanges of fire between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. It's not clear whether the two sides will agree to a truce. The Israeli security cabinet will meet tomorrow morning to discuss the proposal.

TODAY 15/7 (8 pm)
In the past hour the Israeli security cabinet has accepted a ceasefire plan to end the fighting in Gaza, which was put forward by the Egyptian government. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has not yet accept the deal. Its armed wing has dismissed the proposal as "a surrender" but the political wing has been less openly hostile. The Health Ministry in Gaza says Israeli air-strikes have killed 192 people since hostilities increased last week, including three people this morning. Israel says its strikes have target Hamas terror sites. Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Kevin Connolly, has just sent this report:

For the first time since this conflict flared up more than a week ago the talk is of how it might end rather than how it might intensify. The ceasefire plan comes from Egypt and combines a proposal for an immediate cessation of hostilities this morning with a timetable for more detailed negotiation in the near future. Israel's security cabinet met early and agreed to the offer just a few minutes before it was due to come into effect but it warned it would increase its attacks if Hamas continued to fire at Israel. The initial response from the military wing of Hamas has been less welcoming, with a source describing the Egyptian proposal as "a surrender" and setting out a list of demands it says must be met, including a release of prisoners by Israel.

WORLD AT ONE 15/7 (1 pm)
The militant Palestinian group Hamas is insisting that it won't accept proposals for a ceasefire with Israel unless all its conditions are met. More rockets have been fired this morning from Gaza into Israel. Almost 200 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's recent bombardment. Israel has accepted the proposed truce but said if the rocket fire into Israel didn't stop it was prepared to continue and intensify its military operation.

PM 15/7 (5 pm)
The Israeli military says it has resumed attacks on Gaza, targeting the Palestinian militant group Hamas as attempts to introduce a ceasefire in the territory unravel. Television pictures show columns of smoke rising over Gaza following the air-strikes. Israel had agreed to a truce proposed by Egyptian mediators but the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had this warning for Hamas:

If Hamas rejects the Egyptian proposal and the rocket fire from Gaza does not cease - and that appears to be the case now - we are prepared to continue and intensify our operation to protect our people.

WORLD TONIGHT 15/7 (10 pm)
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused the Palestinian militant group Hamas of leaving him no choice but to expand and intensify Israel's military campaign. An Egyptian attempt to introduce a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas foundered within hours. Cross-border strikes have continued. Palestinian officials say almost 200 people have been killed in eight days of Israeli air-strikes. The first Israeli civilian was killed today. Our Middle East correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

It took six hours for the first attempt to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas to founder. In that short period, while Israel said it accepted the terms of the Egyptian ceasefire, Palestinian militant groups fired 50 rockets at Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned that his country would hit back hard if the rocket fire continued. And now it has. In the search for a ceasefire it's clearly a serious setback, although not necessarily a terminal blow. Hamas wants some concessions in advance of any deal, but the resumption of hostilities means the question of whether Israel would eventually order ground operations is now back on the agenda.  

TODAY 16/7 (8 am)
The Health Ministry in Gaza says Israeli air-strikes have killed at least ten people overnight. Officials say the house of a top Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, was destroyed. He's believed to be in hiding elsewhere. The deaths mean more than 200 Palestinians have died since hostilities increased last Tuesday. Yesterday morning Israel agreed to a ceasefire but it was rejected by Hamas. Israel said 155 rockets were fired from Gaza into its territory on Tuesday, with one Israeli killed. Our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports from Jerusalem:

24 hours after the talk was of possible ceasefire, the asymmetrical conflict between Israel now, once again, has a grimly familiar feel. Sirens warning of rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups sounded late into the night in parts of Israel and the Israeli army is again using recorded telephone messages to tell civilians to get out of two particular areas of Gaza, raising fears there either of more intense bombardment or a possible planned ground operation. Israel's overnight targets included several militant leaders, but among those reported killed was a five-month-old baby. After the collapse of the first attempt to broker a truce between the two sides, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said, "Where there is no ceasefire, our answer is fire". Behind the scenes it's thought diplomatic efforts led by Egypt are continuing, but there's no public sign of how close they might be to achieving a deal acceptable to both sides. 

WORLD AT ONE 16/7 (1 pm)
Israel has urged tens of thousands of people to leave their homes in north-eastern Gaza amid signs that it's preparing to step up its military campaign. Residents in two areas have been receiving recorded phone messages telling them their lives are at risk if they stay. This morning more rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.

PM 16/7 (5 pm)
An Israeli attack in Gaza has killed four Palestinian children. The boys from a family of fishermen were playing near a shipping container on the beach which was hit by an artillery shell fired from the sea. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has warned that a ground offensive may be necessary to end the firing of rockets by Hamas militants.

WORLD TONIGHT 16/7 (10 pm)
Four Palestinian children, all cousins, have been killed in an Israeli attack as they played on a beach in Gaza. The Palestinian group Hamas described the attack as "a war crime". The Israeli military says it's investigating but said it had been targeting militants who've been launching rocket attacks on Israeli cities. Quentin Somerville reports from Tel Aviv:

Israel's military has described its killing of four Palestinian children on Gaza Beach as "a tragic outcome". The four boys, all from the same family, were killed by Israeli artillery. Eye witnesses say the beach was hit a number of times, even as survivors ran for cover. Israel says the intended target was Hamas militants. Separately its army has agreed to a U.N. request to temporarily halt its attacks on Gaza on humanitarian grounds for five hours tomorrow. Many thousands of Palestinians were earlier forced to flee their homes after Israel warned it would bomb the north of Gaza. Despite the temporary Israeli ceasefire the army has said people should still not return home. 

TODAY 17/7 (8 am)
Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have agreed to a temporary ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach people in Gaza after more than a week of fighting. The truce, which has just come into force, was negotiated by the United Nations. Christopher Gunness of the U.N. relief agency in Gaza told us he hopes the ceasefire would last longer than the planned five hours:

We hope as a humanitarian organisation that the parties to this conflict will build on what we hope will be achieved in the coming hours and address the underlying causes. It is quite simply unsustainable to have a situation where every couple of years millions of people across Israel are terrorised by rockets, but it's also unacceptable to have a situation where 1.7 million people in Gaza, more than half of whom are children, are put through what they are going through now.

WORLD AT ONE 17/7 (1 pm)
A temporary ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militants in Gaza has ended, although reports suggest an agreement may be close on a more comprehensive truce that would begin tomorrow morning. The five-hour ceasefire this morning was declared for humanitarian purposes. Israel says three rockets were fired from Gaza during that time. Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been negotiating a more permanent truce in Egypt. From Jerusalem our correspondent, Kevin Connolly, reports:

It's been known for some days that Egyptian officials were working on a second ceasefire proposal after an earlier version failed when Israel accepted it and Hamas did not. The first reports that a deal had been reached came after an Israeli delegation returned home from Cairo this morning. That delegation included senior intelligence officials and a personal envoy of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Their presence was a signal that the talks were serious. There's been no word yet from the other parties to the negotiations, which include Palestinian militant groups in Gaza and Egypt itself and it's not clear what the terms of the agreement might be. The news came as a five-hour humanitarian pause in hostilities was due to expire. There now seems a real chance that it might be replaced soon with something more substantial. 

PM 17/7 (5 pm)
Israeli jets have carried out another air-strike on Gaza, hours after a temporary ceasefire ended. Medical sources in Gaza City say three children were killed. Israel said it was responding to Palestinian rocket fire and accused the militant group Hamas of shelling southern Israel while the truce was in place. Kevin Connolly reports from Jerusalem:

The five-hour pause in hostilities was briefly interrupted by an exchange of mortar fire, but it held well enough to allow the people of Gaza to emerge safely into the streets, to shop for food, queue at cash points, of just to take a walk. Hopes it might quickly build into something more permanent lasted just a matter of minutes. There are diplomatic moves in progress though. At one point Israeli sources were saying a ceasefire had been agreed between all the parties in Cairo. It now appears obstacles remain, although progress clearly has been made and the two sides are still talking to the Egyptians if not directly to each other. 

WORLD TONIGHT 17/7 (10 pm)
Israel has begun a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip after what it described as "repeated rejections" of offers to de-escalate the recent violence. More that 200 Palestinians have died in Israeli air-strikes in an operation designed to stop rocket fire against Israeli towns and cities. From Jerusalem, Kevin Connolly reports:

Israel's announcement that it was beginning a ground offensive in Gaza followed ten days of intensive air operations aimed at damaging the military capabilities of Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups. The first official statement spoke of operations designed to damage a network of tunnels that Hamas is believed to have built leading under the border to stage attacks on Israel. These significant military developments came just a few hours after it was reported that progress was being made towards a ceasefire after intensive negotiations in Cairo. It is possible that Israel is seeking to improve its military position in advance of any deal but, perhaps more probable, it's decided that a ceasefire, for the moment, is unlikely. 

TODAY 18/7 (8 am)
The Israeli army has launched its first major ground offensive in Gaza for more than five years. The Israelis moved in after ten days of air-strikes failed to stop Hamas militants from rockets. At least six Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed overnight. From Gaza, Yolande Knell reports:

As Israel began its late night assault there were air-strikes and intense shelling in the border areas of Gaza to the north, east and south. Witnesses said that about ten tanks entered the north west of the Palestinian territory. Meanwhile, naval operations continue to be seen off the coast. The Israeli military instructed foreign journalists to evacuate a long stretch of the sea front and stay in a single beach-side hotel. Israel says it's pressing ahead with an operation to destroy a network of tunnels used by Palestinian militants for assembling rockets and organising cross-border attacks. A Hamas spokesman in Gaza said Israel would pay a high price for launching the ground operation and that his Islamist movement was ready for the confrontation. 

The Israeli ambassador to Britain, Daniel Taub, defended the use of ground forces:

There clearly is a dilemma here. When you have a terrorist organisation like Hamas which doesn't use arms to protect its civilians but uses civilians to protect its arms there is no way of defending yourself, tragically, which doesn't have some impact on the civilian population. But not defending yourself in that complex situation is not an option. 

WORLD AT ONE 18/7 (1 pm)
Israeli troops are advancing further into Gaza, backed by tanks, helicopters and gunboats. They're attempting to destroy rocket launchers and underground tunnels built by Hamas. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he'd ordered the military to prepare for a significant expansion of the ground offensive. From Gaza City, Yolande Knell reports:

Israeli tanks and troops made the first ground invasion here overnight. Heading into a special cabinet meeting, Mr Netanyahu suggested that more could now be involved in the widening operation. He said that the Israeli military was targeting militants' tunnel networks, which it couldn't do from the air only. Today Israeli aircraft and artillery have intensified their strikes in the north, east and south of the Gaza Strip. Israel says it's killed a number of militants, but the number of Palestinian civilians killed is also continuing to rise. Three Palestinian children were killed by Israeli tankfire in the north of Gaza. The Islamist movement Hamas has told Israel it will pay a high price for the ground invasion. Militants have continued to fire rockets at Israel.

PM 18/7 (5 pm)
Israel says it is preparing for a significant expansion of its offensive in Gaza, which began last night. At least 24 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier have been killed since then. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said it was necessary to prevent Hamas militants from using tunnels to launch attacks on Israel:

Since it is impossible to deal with the tunnels solely by aerial means our troops are also dealing with it on the ground. My and the Defence Minister's instructions to the IDF, approved by the cabinet, are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the group operation and the Chief of Staff and the military are prepared accordingly.   

WORLD TONIGHT 18/7 (10 pm)
Doctors say dozens of Palestinians, including five children and a baby, were killed today in Gaza. Israeli troops began a major ground offensive last night aimed at destroying a network of tunnels they claim are used by Hamas. The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is to travel to the Middle East tomorrow to help negotiate in the conflict. Our correspondent, Paul Adams, reports from Gaza City:

Palestinians are still bracing themselves for further Israeli incursions, possibly deeper into the Gaza Strip. Already this new phase of Israel's campaign has left dozens killed or wounded, including several more children. Reports tonight speak of heavy shelling in the far north of the Gaza Strip, close to the main Israeli crossing point. The Israeli army says it has uncovered and destroyed ten tunnels into Israel and is looking for more. For its part Hamas has continued to fire salvos of rockets into Israel but there have been no reports of injuries. As the shelling intensified in the north and south of the Gaza Strip, the U.N. said the number of people seeking shelter in its facilities had doubled in 24 hours from around 20,000 to 40,000.

TODAY 19/7 (8 am)
Israel says its ground offensive in Gaza, launched in response to rocket attacks from Hamas militants, could last for a fortnight. More than sixty Palestinians, including several children, have been killed since the operation began.  The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is traveling to the Middle East today to try to mediate in the conflict. From Gaza Yolande Knell reports:

The diplomatic initiative by Mr Ban comes after a bloody day of fighting in Gaza. An early morning airstrike outside a mosque in the southern town of Khan Younis killed seven people. In the north, where there's been heavy tank shelling, family of eight, including four children, was killed, according to local health officials. The number of Palestinian deaths has risen sharply since Israel began its ground offensive late on Thursday. Israel said its objective is to stop militant groups firing rockets into its towns and cities. U.N. officials said there was a need to help Israelis and Palestinians to co-ordinate with international actors to help end the violence.

NEWS 19/7 (1 pm)
The Israeli military says it's killed a Palestinian militant after he infiltrated Israel through a tunnel from Gaza. The army said that he was among several militants armed with machine guns and anti-tank missiles which were aiming to carry out a lethal attack on a nearby Israeli community. The incident comes as twenty more Palestinians died in Israeli attacks on Gaza bring the Palestinian death toll up to more than 300.

PM 19/7 (5 pm)
Israel has issued more warnings to leave their homes as the military steps up its ground offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Officials say more than 300 Palestinians have died in the recent escalation of the conflict. Israeli police say that an Israeli Bedouin man has been killed by a rocket fired from Gaza. Our correspondent Yolande Knell is in Gaza:

There have been recorded messages just sent out to people, even in our office, telling them if they are living out to the east that they should make their way towards Gaza City. So the situation here at the moment, really people very worried about the worsening humanitarian situation and the number of Palestinian casualties that are being seen as well, now that Israel's ground offensive is well under way. 

NEWS 19/7 (10 pm)
Israel is stepping up its ground offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza, sending more telephone messages to Palestinians to leave their homes. Palestinian officials say that more than 30 people have been killed in Gaza during the day. Two Israeli soldiers died in an exchange of fire on their side of the border. Our correspondent Paul Adams has been to a Palestinian town where the fighting has intensified:

Gun battles crackle nearby in Beit Hanoun at the northern end of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces are moving slowly in from the border. Ahmad Abu **** has been forced to leave him home. He's seen young men being taken away and Israeli soldiers taking up positions inside buildings - something the Israeli army has so far denied to us:

They said, "Everyone, leave the area! No one can stay. It's now a closed military zone. Everybody out!" 

But as the fighting intensifies thousands of people are on the move, 50,000 seeking shelter in 44 U.N. schools. Hamas and the other armed factions are not showing any signs of giving up. Volleys of rockets still soar into the sky over Gaza, aimed at communities in Israel. One landed in the southern city of Dimona, killing a 32-year-old Israeli Arab. A spokesman for the military wing of Hamas has issued a defiant statement. He says the organisation has prepared for a long-term battle. 

BROADCASTING HOUSE 20/7 (9 am)
Israel has carried out new bombardments in Gaza, with five more Palestinians killed in heavy overnight shelling. In a statement the army said it was expanding its ground offensive against the militant group Hamas, which is still firing rockets into Israel. More than 350 Palestinians have now been killed since Israel began its attacks on Gaza. Seven Israelis have died. Chris Morris reports from southern Israel:

There were huge explosions in Gaza overnight, as Israel expanded ts military operations and launched attacks from land, sea and air. It was the heaviest shelling by Israeli forces in 13 days of fighting. Israel's aim is to destroy a network of tunnels build by Hamas leading from Gaza into Israeli territory. Many of the dead in Gaza are civilians. Among the seven Israeli casualties were two soldiers killed when Palestinian fighters disguised in Israeli military uniforms entered Israel through one hidden tunnel. 

WORLD THIS WEEKEND 20/7 (1 pm)
A short truce is over in a part of the Gaza Strip hit by the heaviest night of shelling since Israel began its offensive against Hamas rocket fire 13 days ago. The two-hour ceasefire ended early when Israel claimed Hamas had been firing. Reports from Gaza say that more than 40 people were killed overnight in the district of Shejaiya. Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been fleeing the area. The fighting on the ground has also escalated. Palestinians say that more than 400 people have now died in Gaza in the two-week offensive. Seven Israelis have also died. Our Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, went to Shejaiya and sent this report:

Through the night and through most of today Shejaiya has been a war zone. In the hours we spent there Israeli artillery never stopped firing. Huge plumes of black and white smoke hung over the streets and an entire community was on the run, families running as fast as they could, away from the shelling, racing away in battered cars. We ran with a group of medics towards one of many houses that is now a pile of rubble, and they pulled the bodies out. A two-hour ceasefire was agreed to allow the dead and the injured to be taken away. It lasted less than an hour. No one can say how long this increasingly bloody war will last.

NEWS 20/7 (6 pm)
The fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip has intensified, with heavy loss of life on both sides. At least 60 people, many of them women and children, have been killed by Israeli shelling that targeted a densely-populated suburb. The attack on Shejaiya sent thousands of residents fleeing and was condemned by the Palestinian leadership as "a massacre". In the past few hours Israel announced that 13 of its soldiers have been killed during fighting in the same suburb of Gaza City. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, the total number of Palestinian dead has risen to 425 since the offensive began nearly two weeks ago. 20 Israelis have been killed, including two civilians. Our Chief International Correspondent, Paul Adams, went to Shejaiya and sent this report:

All morning the people of Shejaiya came streaming out of their neighbourhood - a desperate exodus after hours of relentless bombardment. And then a truce, of sorts - a few precious hours in which to find the wounded amid the rubble. We followed this convoy of ambulances deep into Shejaiya to a scene of pretty extreme destruction. Lots of buildings have been very, very badly damaged. There are trees down. And there's suddenly gunfire coming from several locations. Someone certainly isn't observing the ceasefire, so I think we're going to have to get out of here. But the rescue workers are determined. The gunfire abates as we turn up a side street. At the end a vast crater of masonry and twisted metal. They spot something. So they think they've found a body. They've called for one stretcher. But it's quite difficult to get to. I can see a....[explosive sound]...Are you OK? Are you OK? Everyone all right? Yep?...I can see a hand and an arm, deep in the wreckage. It's shaking. I think that's someone who's alive, but they've got to remove some rubble before they can get to her, and hope there are any more explosions like that last one. With great care they manage to free the woman. She's terribly wounded. As she's carried away to a waiting ambulance it's hard to know if she'll make it. Israel says this place is a Hamas stronghold, that it is solely to blame for what's happened here, but the people of Shejaiya have paid a terrible price.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has been defending the Gaza offensive, saying his country targets military sites and that it regrets any civilian casualties. He accused Hamas of using the Palestinian population as human shields. Our correspondent Chris Morris has sent this report from southern Israel, close to the Gaza border:

It's been a day of sustained shelling and heavy casualties. 13 Israeli soldiers from the Golani Brigade were killed in combat in and around Shejaiya overnight - the highest number in years. It's more than were killed in three weeks of fighting in Gaza in late 2008 and early 2009, but still considerably less than the number of Palestinians who've been killed over the same 24 hour period. In a BBC interview, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, described Shejaiya as "a terror stronghold" where Hamas manufacture and store the rockets they fire into Israel:

We ask the population, "Leave!" We ask them again and again. We call them up. We text them messages. We give them leaflets. We asked them to leave. Hamas says...and some of them do leave...Hamas says, "Don't leave! We forbid you to leave." So Hamas is using these people, these civilians, as a human shield.

Israel's Security Cabinet is meeting this evening to discuss whether to expand military operations still further. And while diplomatic efforts to bring this latest conflict to an end will intensify in the coming days, the deaths of so many soldiers on a single day will shock Israeli society. 

WESTMINSTER HOUR 20/7 (10 pm)
President Obama has expressed "serious concern" about the growing number of casualties on both sides in the Gaza Strip, with the heaviest fighting since Israel began its offensive against Hamas militants nearly two weeks ago. At least sixty people, many of them women and children, died when Israel bombarded the suburb of Shejaiya, east of Gaza City. The attacks sent thousands of residents fleeing and was condemned by the Palestinian leadership as "a massacre". Israel said 13 of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the same area. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, nearly 90 Palestinians were killed throughout the day across the territory, taking the total number of dead to 425. 20 Israelis have been killed, including two civilians, during the 13 days of the offensive. Our correspondent, Paul Adams, has been to Shejaiya and sent this report:

All morning the people of Shejaiya came streaming out of their neighbourhood - a desperate exodus after hours of relentless bombardment. And then a truce, of sorts - a few precious hours in which to find the wounded amid the rubble. We followed this convoy of ambulances deep into Shejaiya to a scene of pretty extreme destruction. Lots of buildings have been very, very badly damaged. There are trees down. And there's suddenly gunfire coming from several locations. Someone certainly isn't observing the ceasefire, so I think we're going to have to get out of here. But the rescue workers are determined. The gunfire abates as we turn up a side street. At the end a vast crater of masonry and twisted metal. They spot something. So they think they've found a body. They've called for one stretcher. But it's quite difficult to get to. I can see a....[explosive sound]...Are you OK? Are you OK? Everyone all right? Yep?...I can see a hand and an arm, deep in the wreckage. It's shaking. I think that's someone who's alive, but they've got to remove some rubble before they can get to her, and hope there are any more explosions like that last one. With great care they manage to free the woman. She's terribly wounded. As she's carried away to a waiting ambulance it's hard to know if she'll make it. Israel says this place is a Hamas stronghold, that it is solely to blame for what's happened here, but the people of Shejaiya have paid a terrible price.

Tonight Hamas claimed it had kidnapped an Israeli soldier. The Israeli Defence Force said it was investigating the report. In a televised national address, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the offensive in Gaza would continue for as long as it took to ensure security. Earlier, he told the BBC Arabic Service that the targets of today's shelling were Hamas rockets hidden in a residential area:

We ask the population, "Leave!" We ask them again and again. We call them up. We text them messages. We give them leaflets. And some of them do leave. Hamas says, "Don't leave! We forbid you to leave." So Hamas is using these people, these civilians, as a human shield to protect its missiles.

TODAY 21/7 (8 am)
Diplomatic efforts to end the escalating conflict in Gaza are being stepped up after a day of intense fighting yesterday in which more than 100 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed. The American Secretary of State, John Kerry, is to travel to Cairo later today to try to secure an immediate truce. The U.N. Security Council met in emergency session overnight and called for a halt to hostilities. Our correspondent Nick Bryant reports from New York:

On the bloodiest day of the conflict so far the Security Council met late into the night in what was described as a "sobering" emergency session. It's called for an immediate end to hostilities and has also expressed serious concern at the growing number of casualties. But the Security Council could agree only what are called "elements to the press" - its weakest form of action. The Palestinian Ambassador had demanded a resolution and said that the international community had failed again and again to shoulder its responsibility. The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is in the Middle East where he condemned the latest Israeli strikes in his strongest words on the crisis to date:

I condemn this atrocious action. Israel must exercise maximum restraint and do far more to protect the civilians. 

But more significant diplomatically will be the arrival in the region of the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry. He's heading to Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials in the hope of negotiating a ceasefire. A live microphone ahead of a television interview caught Mr Kerry telling an aide, "We've got to get over there" - a clear sign that American wants to draw this conflict to a speedy end.

Officials in Gaza say that over 500 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive two weeks ago. 20 Israelis - 18 of them soldiers - have died. As Yolande Knell reports from Gaza City, the violence has continued overnight:

More than 20 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in the latest fighting in the southern Gaza Strip. Two houses were hit this morning in Israeli airstrikes on the towns of Rafah and Khan Younis. The number of civilians who've died in this conflict has risen dramatically since an Israeli offensive began on Saturday night in the densely-populated Shejaiya neighbourhood, which came under intense artillery fire. Thousands of resident were forced to flee the area. The Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting with Palestinian militants. The death toll from this operation is now the highest for the Israeli military since the 2006 Lebanon War. The military wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas says it's captured an Israeli soldier; however, the Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, said the claim was untrue.

WORLD AT ONE 21/7 (1 pm)
Health officials in Gaza say that more than 30 people from two families have been killed by the latest Israeli attacks. The Israeli military says it has killed two "Hamas terrorist squads" who entered Israeli territory. It also says it has intercepted rockets fired from Gaza above the Israeli cities of Ashod, Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. From Gaza our correspondent Yolande Knell reports:

For the second day in a row neighbourhoods to the east of Gaza City have come under heavy Israeli artillery fire. The military action appears to have pushed further south from Shejaiya, where at least 65 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in the bloodiest day of fighting so far during this operation. Thousands of residents have fled the area where Israel says it's targeting tunnels used by militants to store rockets that are launched at its towns and cities. As diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire intensify fighting has also continued elsewhere. In southern Gaza this morning two families were killed by Israeli airstrikes. Meanwhile Palestinian militants fired a barrage of rockets at Israel and attempted to launch a cross-border attack through two tunnels. 

PM 21/7 (5 pm)
Israeli tank shells have hit a hospital in the central Gaza Strip, killing five people and wounding 70 others, including medical staff. Israel has yet to comment. Earlier, more than 30 members of two families were killed as Israel continued its offensive against Hamas militants. Yolande Knell reports from Gaza City:

Doctors say that several Israeli tank shells hit Al-Aqsa Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah. The reception area, intensive care unit and operating theatres were hit. Appeals have been made to the Red Cross to help evacuate patients from the building. Israel had told residents of neighbouring areas to head to Deir al-Balah for their own safety as its ground offensive continues to target neighbourhoods to the east of Gaza City for a second day. Fighting has shown no sign of abating as diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militants continue. The U.S. Secretary of State and the U.N. Secretary General are expected in Cairo later. 

WORLD TONIGHT 21/7 (10 pm)
Palestinian health officials say 550 people have been killed in Gaza since the Israeli offensive began two weeks ago. The total includes five people killed in a hospital today by shells from an Israeli tank. The Israeli military says seven of its soldiers have died in the last 24 hours, bringing the total killed to 25, plus two civilians. From Ashkelon in Israel, Chris Morris reports:

Sirens in Tel Aviv as more rockets fired by Hamas from Gaza target Israeli towns and cities. Compared to the state-of-the-art weapons Israel is using to bombard Gaza this is a relatively unsophisticated assault, but the rockets spread fear and pose a real threat to the security of Israeli citizens. But Hamas has also begun attacking Israel on the ground. For the second time in a few days militants used a tunnel dug under the border to enter Israeli territory. This was the funeral of one of 13 soldiers killed in action in Gaza on Sunday. Another seven soldiers have since been killed, four of them during the Hamas infiltration across the border into Israel.   

TODAY 22/7 (8 am)
Palestinian officials say Israeli aircraft have hit more than 70 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight, killing 13 people. Israel says two more of its soldiers have died in the conflict. Diplomatic efforts to arrange a truce have intensied, with the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, meeting the U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, in Cairo. Mr Kerry said the United States would be working for a ceasefire as well as looking at ways to address the underlying issues. From Gaza City, our correspondent Yolande Knell:

The pre-dawn call to prayer from mosques across Gaza was followed by the sound of explosions and shelling. Early morning Israeli airstrikes destroyed several mosques and targeted a sports stadium and the home of the late leader of the Hamas military wing. The attacks came as the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, met the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Cairo, in the most high-profile diplomatic effort yet to end this conflict. Hamas insists that it won't stop fighting until Israel agrees to release prisoners from its jails and Israel and Egypt ease the border restrictions on Gaza that were tightened after it took over here seven years ago. The U.N. says that the majority of Palestinians killed in the two weeks of fighting were civilians and that dozens of children are among the dead. In Israel two civilians have been killed.

WORLD AT ONE 22/7 (1 pm)
The Health Ministry in Gaza says that more than 600 Palestinians have now been killed as Israel continues its bombardment of the territory. 29 Israelis, most of them soldiers, have been killed. The U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, and the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, have been meeting Egyptian and Arab League officials in Cairo to discuss negotiating a ceasefire. Yolande Knell reports from Gaza:

As high-level diplomats discuss possible conditions for a truce the third week of Israel's military offensive in Gaza began with intense shelling and airstrikes. About 50 Palestinians have been killed since mightnight local time, including children and a pregnant woman. Palestinian militants have continued to fire rockets at Israel. In Cairo, Mr Kerry met the Egyptian President and the Arab League Secretary General, Nabeel Al-Arabi, who said "all hostile acts should end as soon as possible". The U.N. Secretary General, Mr Ban, has now travelled to Israel for meetings and will later head to the West Bank. Hamas continues to demand the release of prisoners from Israeli jails and an easing of the tight border restrictions on Gaza imposed by Israel and Egypt before it will stop fighting.  

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Italy have condemned the increase in anti-Semitic protests in their countries connected to the conflict in Gaza. In a joint statement they said they would they would "do everything possible to combat racist and xenophobic acts and statements. Pro-Palestinian youths have repeatedly clashed with police in France and attacked two synagogues in Paris on Sunday. In Germany demonstrators have chanted anti-Semitic slogans.

PM 22/7 (5 pm)
High-level diplomatic talks have been taking place to try to end the violence in the Gaza Strip, in which more than 600 Palestinians and 29 Israelis have died in the last two weeks. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, met the the U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon in Tel Aviv but said Hamas was to blame for rejecting proposals for a ceasefire. The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, met Mr Ban and Egyptian and Palestinian officials in Cairo. He said his meetings had been constructive and urged both sides to call an immediate ceasefire:

While we still obviously have work to do it's also clear to me from each of the parties that I've met with that there is a framework available to end the violence, and that framework is the Egyptian initiative that has been put forward.

WORLD TONIGHT 22/7 (10 pm)
The American aviation agency, the FAA, has suspended all flights to Israel's main international airport in Tel Aviv for 24 hours because of concerns about rocket fire from Gaza. A number of European airlines have also cancelled flights, including Easy Jet. British Airways said it was flying as normal. The Israeli government has insisted the airport is safe and that cancelling flights was rewarding terrorism. From Jerusalem, here's Bethany Bell:

The U.S. carriers Delta, United and US Airways have confirmed they are, for now, suspending their services to Tel Aviv. The FAA's prohibition applies only to U.S. airlines, but shortly after the announcement a number of European carriers also halted their flights to Israel. They include Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and its subsidiaries - German Wings, Austrian and Swiss. The move comes amid heightened concern about flights near conflict zones. A spokesperson for the Israeli Aviation Authority said Ben Gurion Airport was safe for take-offs and landings and that there was no reason to stop flights. 

TODAY 23/7 (8 am)
A 24-year-old Palestinian woman who lost ten members of her family in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza has died in hospital. She was filmed being rescued from her uncle's home on Sunday but died last night of her injuries. Paul Adams reports from Gaza:

Asmaa el-Helou clung to life for almost three days but her condition was always precarious. She suffered terrible injuries when a missile struck her uncle's house in Shejaiya in the early hours of Sunday morning. She lay crushed under concrete for twelve hours before rescue crews pulled her out. She died last night of kidney failure - a common complication following such catastrophic injuries. They are still pulling bodies out of Shejaiya. It will take time to reach them all. Asmaa, who was making Ramadan breakfast when the missile struck, was the only survivor in that house. Her parents, brothers, sisters, nephews and a niece - ten people in total - were all killed. Israel warned the people of Shejaiya to leave or face the consequences. It describes the areas as "a Hamas stronghold". 

Israel has criticised a decision by all American airlines and some European ones to suspend flights to Tel Aviv for 24 hours. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed the ban after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Ben Gurion Airport. The Israeli government said cancelling flights would "reward terrorism".
A Liberal Democrat MP has been widely criticised at Westminster for saying he'd probably fire rockets at Israel if he lived in Gaza. David Ward, who represents Bradford East, was accused by the Conservatives of "inciting violence". Here's our political correspondent, Vicky Young:

David Ward has been in trouble before about his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He was suspended from the Lib Dem parliamentary party for three months last year after he described Israel as "an apartheid state" and said that "Zionists were losing the battle". He's had a long-running dispute with the party's leadership over his use of language but he's insisted that his comments aren't anti-Semitic. Now he strayed into controversial territory again, this time posting a tweet which reads, "The big question is if I lived in Gaza would I fire a rocket? Probably yes." A Lib Dem spokesman said the party supported Mr Ward's right to campaign on behalf of the Palestinian people but these views were clearly vile, crass and offensive". He added that this would be treated as a disciplinary issue. 

WORLD AT ONE 23/7 (1 pm)
The United Nations' senior human rights official Navi Pillay has said Israel may be committing "war crimes" in Gaza. Addressing an emergency U.N. session in Geneva, she condemned the rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas militants but also questioned Israel's commitment to protecting civilian lives. In response Israel has said it has the right to defend itself. As the diplomatic efforts to end the fighting continue, the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, who's in Israel, has said some progress has been made. Imogen Foulkes reports from Geneva:

Navi Pillay said the four children killed by an Israeli strike on a Gaza beach last week cast doubt on Israel's claim that it was taking all necessary precautions to protect civilians. "The deaths of the children," she said, "demonstrated a shocking disregard for human life and could constitute a war crime". And although she also condemned what she said were "indiscriminate Hamas rocket attacks on Israel", she said that "the actions of one party could not absolve the other of the need to respect international law." She listed a series of incidents, including Israeli strikes on hospitals and civilian homes which she said "must be independently investigated". Israel's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva responded angrily, saying his country was "a democracy defending itself from a terrorist aggressor."

PM 23/7 (5 pm)
The U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, has spent the day trying to secure agreement on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. He said his talks in Jerusalem have made some progress. Meanwhile, Palestinians in south-east Gaza have been fleeing in panic as Israeli troops mount further ground operations. Yolande Knell reports:

As Mr Kerry headed into another meeting with the U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in Jerusalem he said that steps forward had been made in the international diplomatic effort to stop this conflict but that there was still work to be done. The two men have been lobbying officials in the region to push Hamas and Israel to agree a truce as soon as possible. However, for now, neither side appears close to backing down. Rockets fired by militants in Gaza in recent days led several international airlines to cancel flights to Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, Israel's military has stepped up its ground and aerial offensive near the southern town of Khan Younis where it says there are tunnels used for cross-border attacks.  

A Liberal Democrat MP has apologised for a tweet in which he suggested that if he lived in Gaza he'd probably be firing rockets at Israel. The Lib Dems say a decision on whether to take disciplinary action against David Ward, who represents Bradford East, would be taken after he'd spoken to the party's Chief Whip.

WORLD TONIGHT 23/7 (10 pm)
The United Nations' senior human rights official Navi Pillay has said Israel may be committing "war crimes" in Gaza. She condemned rocket attacks on Israel by Hamas militants but also questioned Israel's commitment to protecting civilian lives. In response Israel has said it has the right to defend itself. It says three soldiers have died in the latest fighting in Gaza, taking the total in the past six days to 32. Palestinians in southern Gaza have been fleeing in panic from the Israeli ground offensive. At least 11 people are reported to have been killed. The American Secretary of State, John Kerry, is in Israel, continuing his attempts to end the violence. From Geneva, here's the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, who's in Israel, has said some progress has been made. From Geneva, here's Imogen Foulkes:

Citing the case of  the four children killed by an Israeli strike on a Gaza beach last week, Navi Pillay cast doubt on Israel's claim that it was taking all necessary precautions to protect civilians:

Credible reports gathered by my office in Gaza indicate that the children were hit first by an Israeli airstrike and then by naval shelling.

The children were "clearly taking no part in hostilities", and the attack on the beach, "demonstrated a shocking disregard for international law and the right to life".

TODAY 24/7 (8 am)
The United Nations' humanitarian chief, Lady Amos, has warned that Palestinian civilians in Gaza face an increasingly desperate plight as Israel's offensive against militants continues. Health officials in Gaza say that more than 700 Palestinians have been killed in the two-week conflict. 34 Israelis have died. The leader of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, has called for an humanitarian truce to allow aid to reach civilians but said he won't accept a full ceasefire unless Israel lifts its blockade of Gaza. From there, Yolande Knell reports:

Overnight Israel's military again targeted the area around Khan Younis in the south-east of the Gaza Strip. It says tunnels there are used for cross-border attacks. Many Palestinians have been killed. Israeli artillery fire has also continued to the east of Gaza City and several Palestinian rockets have been fired at Israel. As the fighting continues, the United Nations' humanitarian chief, Baroness Valerie Amos, has said she's extremely concerned about the plight of civilians in Gaza:

We have over 180,000 people now who are sheltering in U.N. schools. People are running out of food. Water is also a serious concern.

The latest comments by Khaled Mashaal gave some hope that a mechanism for a truce following by a longer-term ceasefire can soon be found. Hamas has said consistently that its demands include an end to the border restrictions imposed on Gaza by Israel and Egypt. The United States says there's been limited progress in international diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire.

WORLD AT ONE 24/7 (1 pm)
The U.N.'s humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos, has described the situation for civilians in Gaza as "devastating" and called on the world to "sit up and take notice". She said that while no one was denying Israel's right to defend itself, there were huge concerns about the impact on ordinary people on the ground, particularly children who "had nothing to do with the violence." More than 700 Palestinians and 30 Israelis has been killed in the past 16 days.

PM 24/7 (5 pm)
Palestinian health officials say at least 15 people have been killed while seeking refuge during the Israeli offensive in Gaza. They are understood to have been in a United Nations shelter housed in a school which came under fire. Our correspondent Chris Morris is in Gaza:

A United Nations spokesman confirmed that there have been multiple casualties at the school in Beit Hanoun - both dead and injured. It appears that it was hit by shellfire. The injured have been taken to several local hospitals. The U.N. spokesman said the United Nations tried to coordinate with the Israeli army during the course of the day to negotiate a window for civilians to leave the area but the spokesman said it was never granted. The Israeli military said in a statement that it's in the midst of combat with Hamas in Beit Hanoun. The statement said several rockets launched by Hamas had landed in the area and Israel was reviewing the incident. Schools run by the U.N. have been turned into shelters for tens of thousands of people who've been forced to leave their homes in Gaza.

WORLD TONIGHT 24/7 (10 pm)
Israel says it's investigating who's responsible for an attack on a school sheltering Palestinian refugees in Gaza
in which at least 13 people died and more than 200 were wounded. Hamas has blamed Israel but Israel says Hamas rockets were fired into the area. The U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said women, children and U.N. staff were among the dead when the building in Beit Hanoun was hit. Our correspondent Chris Morris is in Gaza:

A United Nations spokesman confirmed that there have been multiple casualties at the school in Beit Hanoun - both dead and injured. It appears that it was hit by shellfire. The injured have been taken to several local hospitals. The U.N. spokesman said the United Nations tried to coordinate with the Israeli army during the course of the day to negotiate a window for civilians to leave the area but the spokesman said it was never granted. The Israeli military said in a statement that it's in the midst of combat with Hamas in Beit Hanoun. The statement said several rockets launched by Hamas had landed in the area and Israel was reviewing the incident. Schools run by the U.N. have been turned into shelters for tens of thousands of people who've been forced to leave their homes in Gaza.

TODAY 25/7 (8 pm)
The U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has said he's "shocked and appalled" by the shelling of a U.N.-run school in northern Gaza where hundreds of Palestinian refugees were sheltering. 13 people are now known to have died. Hamas has blamed Israel, but Israel says it's not yet clear which side was responsible. Anger about events in Gaza has spilled onto the streets of Jerusalem and the West Bank, where thousands of protestors clashed with Israeli security forces last night. The conflict in Gaza, which began earlier this month, has now claimed more than 800 Palestinian lives. 32 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have died. Reporting from Gaza, Yolande Knell:

In southern Gaza Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes killed several people as this military offensive continued into an 18th day. Israel says there are tunnels in the area used to launch cross-border attacks. Meanwhile, there's been widespread criticism of Israeli actions after a U.N. school in northern Gaza was hit yesterday. U.N. officials have blamed Israel for the attack that killed 13 people, including children, who were taking shelter in the building. The Israeli military says it's still investigating what happened. The U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said that he was "appalled" and that the incident showed it was "imperative for the killing to stop, and stop now":

This is wrong. Why are you continuing to kill people? There are many other ways to resolve this issue without killing each other. I'm angry about what they are doing. We have to take action now.

Overnight, large crowds of Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem staged protests at events in Gaza. At least one Palestinian is reported to have been killed in clashes at the Qalandiya checkpoint in Ramallah. Palestinian leaders have called for "a day of anger". 

WORLD AT ONE 25/7 (1 pm)
International efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have intensified, as the number of dead
continues to climb after two weeks of intense fighting. The American Secretary of State, John Kerry, is reported to have presented plans to both sides for a temporary truce. It comes as Palestinian leaders have called for "a day of anger" in protest at the death of civilians. Jon Donnison reports from east Jerusalem:

In Jerusalem's Old City there's been a huge Israeli security operation around Muslim Friday prayers. It follows a night of violence in the West Bank. Outside Ramallah, more than 10,000 Palestinians marched towards Jerusalem and clashed with Israeli soldiers. Two Palestinians were killed and more than 200 were wounded. 29 Israeli police officers were injured. There is much anger here among Palestinians about the mounting casualties in Gaza. In Cairo, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, is said to be pushing for a short humanitarian truce of up to ten days to start at the weekend to coincide with the start of the Muslim holiday of Eid. Whether a ceasefire will materialise and hold is another matter. Either way, any truce will only be a short-term fix. The deep-rooted conflicts between Israeli and Palestinians is as intractable as ever. 

PM 25/7 (5 pm)
Negotiations are taking place in Cairo to broker a temporary humanitarian truce in Gaza. The United States and the United Nations are calling for a week-long pause in the conflict. Around 800 Palestinians and more than 30 Israelis have been killed in the recent violence. Our U.N. correspondent, Nick Bryant, reports:

The plan that's being worked on in Cairo has two stages: First, a week-long truce starting as soon as Sunday that would essentially coincide with the Eid festival; the second, broader international talks as soon as the ceasefire took hold on economic, political and security issues involving Gaza. They'd not just include the Israelis and Palestinians but other countries as well and the United Nations. There are obstacles that have not yet been overcome. One is that Israel wants to keep its military in place in Gaza during the temporary truce. Hamas has also said that Israel didn't abide by the terms of the 2012 ceasefire agreement, so why should it commit to the same process again?

THE WORLD TONIGHT 25/7 (10 pm)
The American Secretary of State, John Kerry, says he's still confident a breakthrough can be made in the Middle East, despite the rejection of his ceasefire proposal by the Israeli government. Mr Kerry has been working with the U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on plans for a seven-day truce. An American official said Israel could begin a 12-hour pause in its military offensive in Gaza tomorrow morning, but there's been no confirmation of this. From Jerusalem, our correspondent Bethany Bell reports:

Mr Kerry said serious progress had been made towards a temporary truce but there was more work to be done. On the table is a proposed seven-day ceasefire which would go into effect next week at the start of the Muslim festival of Eid. The temporary truce is intended to pave the way for further talks on a more permanent ceasefire. But it seems Israel has rejected the plan in its current form. However, an Israeli official told the BBC that a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire is being considered. It's though that Israel may want to keep its troops on the ground during any temporary truce to give it more time to destroy the cross-border tunnels. For its part Hamas is pushing for what it calls "a genuine guarantee" that the blockade on Gaza will be lifted.

TODAY 26/7 (8 am)
A twelve-hour ceasefire between Hamas and Israel began an hour ago on the nineteenth day of a conflict that has cost the lives of more than 800 Palestinians and some 40 Israelis, most of them soldiers. The two sides said they would observe the temporary ceasefire after the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, was unable to secure a lasting truce during talks in Cairo. Medical officials in Gaza say Israeli attacks have killed 19 people overnight. Israel said two of its soldiers were killed yesterday evening. From Gaza here's our correspondent, Yolande Knell:

Minutes after this pause in fighting came into effect small crowds of people could be seen out on the streets. Banks are due to open and maintenance work is being carried out to try to repair damage done to the electricity and water supplies during the recent intense Israeli military bombardment. Ambulances could be seen heading to Shejaiya, east of Gaza City, where, despite the truce, Israel's military says it will continue efforts to destroy a network of tunnels used by militants. Residents could be seen heading back to the neighbourhood, which has been one of the worst effected by this conflict, even though Israel has told them not to do so. A Hamas spokesman said that all militant groups in Gaza had agreed to abide by the truce, yet previous arrangements have quickly broken down. Sources in Israel say that the cabinet rejected international proposals for a more permanent ceasefire. However, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, said no formal proposals had been made and that they'd been serious progress. 

Mr Kerry will meet foreign ministers from France, Britain and four other countries in Paris later to discuss ways to achieve a permanent ceasefire. It's not thought representatives from Israel, Hamas or the Palestinian Authority will be there.

NEWS 26/7 (1 pm)
Palestinian health officials in Gaza say they've retrieved almost 80 bodies buried beneath the rubble of destroyed buildings since a twelve-hour humanitarian ceasefire come into force. Ambulances have been allowed into neighbourhoods that for days have been regarded as too dangerous to enter. The streets are full of people carrying bundles of possessions salvaged from their homes. The temporary truce agreed between Israel and Hamas ends at 6 o'clock this evening. Our correspondent Yolande Knell is in Shejaiya, one of the areas most heavily bombed and shelled:

...the grief and anguish written on the faces of everyone you meet here. Thousands of Gazans from Shejaiya have made use of this temporary truce to return to their homes. They hope to check on their properties and gather up their possessions. But what they've found are scenes of bewildering, heartbreaking devastation. I'm looking along a residential street that's been reduced to piles of rubble. People are sifting through the dust and the twisted metal and branches to find children's clothes, anything else they can retrieve. And with tears in his eyes, this old man tells us that he's waiting for emergency crews to bring out the bodies of three members of his family from inside the remains of his house. This is the first time that ambulances and medics have been able to access Shejaiya and other areas that have been the focus of Israel's ground offensive and the heavy aerial bombardment in recent days. They've been bringing out dozens of bodies from the rubble. This ambulance driver says he believes there are many more they've yet to find in the buildings around here. Entire families have been killed. 

More than 900 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since the Israeli offensive against militants began 19 days ago. 40 Israelis have died, mainly soldiers. In Paris, senior diplomatic figures - among them the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, and the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond - have gathered for talks on how to secure a longer-term ceasefire. From there, our correspondent Hugh Schofield reports:

Convoys of limousines have been arriving here at the Foreign Ministry on the Quai d'Orsay. The talks, led by John Kerry, are looking at ways of building on the existing twelve-hour ceasefire in Gaza. The aim is for a seven-day cessation of hostilities during which talks about a long-term political settlement could get underway. However, with neither Hamas nor Israel present in Paris there's no expectation that these talks will lead to any breakthrough. Meanwhile, there's some tension in Paris after a pro-Palestinian march that was due to talk place this afternoon was banned by the Interior Minister. The government said there was a risk of violence. But, despite the ban, many would-be protestors have said they will turn up anyway at the Place de la Republique. 

PM 26/7 (5 pm)
Officials in Gaza say the number of Palestinians killed in the fighting between Israel and Hamas has risen to more than a thousand. Rescue workers have recovered at at least a hundred bodies during the twelve-hour humanitarian truce. The Israeli military says three more soldiers were killed overnight, taking its losses to 40. Three civilians in Israel have also died since the offensive began 19 days ago. Yolande Knell sent this report from Gaza:

Sifting through the rubble in the eastern Shejaiya district, thousands of residents took advantage of this pause in the fighting to head back to homes they'd recently fled. Many hoped to retrieve their possessions but found only scenes of destruction following intense Israeli tank fire and airstrikes. Across Gaza dozens of bodies were discovered from the rubble of buildings and relatives rushed to bury their dead. Other families have taken the chance to stock up on supplies that have run low during this devastating conflict. Throughout the truce drones have been heard overhead. Israel's military said it was continuing to destroy tunnels used by militants in Gaza. 

In the past few minutes it's been reported that Israel has agreed to a four-hour extension to the truce. It had been due to end at 6 o'clock. Earlier, foreign ministers including the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, called for the ceasefire to be extended following talks in Paris.

NEWS 26/7 (10 pm)
Warning sirens have been sounding across Israel this evening after Hamas resumed firing rockets from Gaza just hours after a 12-hour ceasefire. The Palestinian group rejected the idea of extending the truce by a further four hours, accusing Israel of using a pause in hostilities to prepare more attacks. More than one thousand Palestinians have been killed since the current conflict began. Over 40 Israelis, most of them soldiers, have also died. From Jerusalem our correspondent Bethany Bell reports:

Fighting has begun again. Hamas has fired another rocket at Israel. Earlier, a senior Israeli official told the BBC that the United Nations had asked for the humanitarian truce to be extended for another day. Israel's security cabinet, the official said, agreed initially for a four-hour extension but Hamas rejected the offer. It says it wants a complete stop to the fighting and the lifting of the blockade on Gaza and it accused Israel of using the truce to prepare more attacks. The Israeli army has warned people in Gaza not to return to previously evacuated areas. It says it's continuing to operate against the cross-border tunnels.

Earlier in the day, a 12-hour ceasefire offered a brief respite from the daily exchange of rocket fire and shelling. For those Palestinians who dared to venture out it was a chance to see the damage to their neighbourhoods, collect possession and help dig bodies from the rubble. Our correspondent, Ian Pannell, entered Shejaiya, one of the worst-effected areas as the daytime ceasefire came into force:

The ceasefire has just begun inside Gaza, just a 12-hour window to allow some sense of humanitarian relief. What I'm looking at at the moment are flood of people coming back into the Shejaiya district, which has been heavily bombarded by the Israelis over the last week or more. The Israelis insist that this is also one of the areas where Hamas militants have been firing rockets from and that's why they've bombed it so heavily. The scene on the ground is one of complete devastation. I've rarely seen anything like this. Entire blocks of flats have been razed to the ground. I'm standing next to a 30-40-metre-deep crater:

[Crying woman]: I can't find my house. Where is it? I couldn't see anything. Nothing's left. The house has gone. Everything has gone. 

To my right, there are people scrambling through the rubble trying to rescue the body of a dead woman and the smell of death is overwhelming here. And it's still dangerous here. We can still hear an Israeli drone hovering overhead. We've heard an Israeli fighter jet in the distance. And, every now and again, we can hear the crackle of gunfire. It's been a fairly grim few hours in Shejaiya. What we've witnessed are people retrieving bodies and retrieving bags and belongings. We've seen people with pots and pans in a crate, others with horses and carts laden heavy with things like boilers, mattresses, anything they can get their hands on. People now have a few hours left before this ceasefire ends to get their things and to get out of Shejaiya before, we presume, the fighting continues again.

In Paris, diplomatic efforts resumed to forge a longer ceasefire. Foreign ministers from seven nations, including the United States and Britain, called for an extension to the pause in hostilities. The group had convened at the request of the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, who failed yesterday to win Israeli or Hamas backing for a week-long truce. The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, said the priority had to be saving lives. Our correspondent, Hugh Schofield, reports from Paris:

No one was under any illusions that these talks would produce a solution. Neither Israel nor Hamas was present at the French Foreign Ministry and international pressure on the two belligerents has so far produced little result. But Mr Hammond said it was still important for countries that speak to Israel and Hamas to agree on a message and then to pass it on with as much force as possible, and that message was a plea to extend the 12-hour truce:

The necessity right now is to stop the loss of life, and we stop the loss of life by getting this ceasefire to roll over for 12 hours or 24 hours or 48 hours, and then again and again, until we've established a level of confidence that allows the parties to sit round a table to talk about the substantive issues.

The substantive issues, according to Philip Hammond, are the Gazans' legitimate concerns about border crossings, access to Gaza and the return of normal day-to-day life, and Israel's legitimate concerns about security, but these questions should wait. The priority now for the international community is establishing a minimum of quiet to create the conditions for proper talks involving the two sides and, above all, to save lives. 

BROADCASTING HOUSE 27/7 (9 am)
The Israeli army has resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip after at least 20 rockets were fired into Israel. Earlier, the Palestinian militant group Hamas dismissed a unilateral 12-hour extension by Israel of a humanitarian truce requested by the United Nations. Hamas has said it will not stop fighting as long as Israeli troops remain inside Palestinian territory. In the 20 days since Israel launched its offensive more than a thousand Palestinians have been killed, most of them civilians. More than 40 Israelis, mainly soldiers, have also died. From Gaza our correspondent, Chris Morris, reports:

There have been huge explosions in several districts of Gaza as Israel's artillery bombardment of this narrow strip of land begins again. The temporary truce is over. Earlier, Hamas militants had rejected talk of a ceasefire and continued to fire rockets towards Israel. Yesterday, thousands of Gazans took advantage of he brief pause in fighting to visit homes in areas close to the Israeli border. In neighbourhoods like Shejaiya and Beit Hanoun there has been massive destruction caused by Israeli attacks. Bodies were still being dug from he rubble and the number of dead here has now climbed well above one thousand. Hamas described the extent of the damage Israel has done as "a game-changer". 

WORLD THIS WEEKEND 27/7 (1 pm)
The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it's agreed a new 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The announcement came after Israel ended its own truce because of continued rocket attacks, in which another soldier died, bringing the military death toll to 43. More than a thousand Palestinians have also been killed. Our correspondent, Chris Morris, reports from Gaza:

Early this morning the shelling resumed. Hamas had continued to fire rockets at Israel and the Israeli response was a barrage of artillery and tank fire directed at districts across Gaza. Thick plumes of smoke rose into the air. The Ministry of Health announced more fatalities. Ambulance sirens wailed as they brought casualties to local hospitals. But then Hamas announced another ceasefire. No one can really be sure whether it will take hold. Israel said it is only targeting Hamas and its infrastructure, but the vast majority of the dead and injured in this conflict are Palestinian civilians and the level of destruction already caused in some areas is staggering.

NEWS 27/7 (6 pm)
Israeli forces and the Palestinian group Hamas have again been exchanging shell and rocket fire despite declaring, at different times, that they would observe another temporary truce. Hamas called for a 24-hour ceasefire from 2 o'clock this afternoon local time, just hours after Israel had resumed its bombardment after yesterday's brief pause in hostilities, blaming rocket attacks launched from Gaza. Each side has accused the other of scuppering moves to end the bloodshed. Officials in Gaza said at least ten people have been killed in the latest airstrikes taking the total number of deaths since the start of Israel's offensive three weeks ago to more than 1030. On the Israeli side 46 people have been killed, most of them soldiers. Our first report is from our correspondent in Gaza, Ian Pannell:

Today was supposed to be quiet in Gaza. Israel had extended its ceasefire for another 24 hours but Hamas did not and the Palestinian militants resumed their shelling. The Israeli military released a video taken today that it says shows rockets being fired out of Gaza from a school. Their spokesman says more than 15 have been launched across the border since midnight. Israel's truce was called off. It's just gone 10 o'clock in the morning. We were told that Israel was adhering to the ceasefire and we were OK to travel on this area but we're hearing a fairly constant barrage of artillery incoming. We've seen smoke rising in a number of different locations. We saw paramedics treat four people who'd been injured in the shelling. They said they'd been working on their farm. All of them had shrapnel wounds. Whatever the politics of this conflict, it's civilians who've borne the brunt. A spokesman for Hamas, Ehab al Hussain, insists their demands won't change, above all a lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

Ian Pannell: The Palestinian people in Gaza have suffered enormously over the last two weeks. Surely your position will have to change? If you keep sticking to it people keep dying. 

Ehab al Hussain: I'm looking for my freedom and I know the price of freedom will be high. So nobody can make me give up, or hold the while flag, without getting my freedom. And this is the same for all the Palestinians.

There was hope of a longer ceasefire, even a peace process. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing. But tonight the conflict in Gaza still feels far from over.

The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, today accused Hamas of violating its own ceasefire and said his country would take whatever steps were needed to protect Israeli lives. Our correspondent Bethany Bell is in Jerusalem:

Dozens of rockets were fired at Israel today, overnight, in the morning, and a barrage in the afternoon. Sirens were heard in the south and centre of the country. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told American television that Israel would take whatever action was necessary to protect its people. He said he regretted the deaths of Palestinian civilians but same that Hamas was to blame. Meanwhile, the Israeli army says it is continuing to demolish the network of cross-border tunnels from Gaza which Hamas is using to try to enter Israel and launch attacks. Peter Lerner is a spokesman from the Israel army:

When we are chasing a terrorist and we go into a premises he goes down a hole and when we chase him in or send a...throw a grenade in to try and kill this terrorist he pops out of another hole three stories or three roads across the line. So, indeed, there is a huge challenge, but they are fortified positions.

The offensive has widespread support here. There are concerns about rising casualties among soldiers, but people say they are under attack and the army must protect Israel. 

Pope Francis has made an impassioned plea for peace during his weekly address in St. Peter's Square in Rome. Without referring specifically to Gaza, he called for an end to conflict:
Brothers and sisters, never war. Never war. I think especially of the children who are deprived of the hope of a worthwhile life, of a future, dead children, wounded children, mutilated children, orphaned children, children whose toys are things left over from war, children who don't know how to smile. Stop war! I ask you with all my heart. Please, stop now!

WESTMINSTER HOUR 27/7 (10 pm)
Israeli forces and the Palestinian group Hamas have again been exchanging shell and rocket fire with each side accusing the other of violating temporary ceasefires. Officials in Gaza said eleven people were killed in the latest airstrikes taking the total number of deaths since the start of Israel's offensive three weeks ago to more than 1030. On the Israeli side 46 people have been killed, most of them soldiers. Our  correspondent in Gaza, Ian Pannell, sent this report:

Today was supposed to be quiet in Gaza. Israel had extended its ceasefire for another 24 hours but Hamas did not and the Palestinian militants resumed their shelling. The Israeli military released a video taken today that it says shows rockets being fired out of Gaza from a school. Their spokesman says more than 15 have been launched across the border since midnight. Israel's truce was called off. It's just gone 10 o'clock in the morning. We were told that Israel was adhering to the ceasefire and we were OK to travel on this area but we're hearing a fairly constant barrage of artillery incoming. We've seen smoke rising in a number of different locations. We saw paramedics treat four people who'd been injured in the shelling. They said they'd been working on their farm. All of them had shrapnel wounds. Whatever the politics of this conflict, it's civilians who've borne the brunt. A spokesman for Hamas, Ehab al Hussain, insists their demands won't change, above all a lifting of the blockade on Gaza:

I'm looking for my freedom and I know the price of freedom will be high. So nobody can make me give up, or hold the while flag, without getting my freedom. And this is the same for all the Palestinians. 

There was hope of a longer ceasefire, even a peace process. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing. But tonight the conflict in Gaza still feels far from over.

Tonight, in a phone conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, President Obama called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, but he said that any lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had to ensure the disarmament of terrorist groups and the demilitarisation of Gaza.Mr Netanyahu had earlier told American television that Israel would take whatever action was necessary to protect Israeli lives. An Israeli military spokesman, Peter Lerner, explained why the army was trying to demolish the network of cross-border tunnels from Gaza which Hamas was using to launch attacks in Israel:

When we are chasing a terrorist and we go into a premises he goes down a hole and when we chase him in or send a...throw a grenade in to try and kill this terrorist he pops out of another hole three stories or three roads across the line. So, indeed, there is a huge challenge, but they are fortified positions.