Biden urges de-escalation in Israel-Gaza fighting, Netanyahu says will press on
By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Jeffrey Heller and Andrea Shalal
Reuters
GAZA/JERUSALEM/ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to press on with operations against Gaza s ruling Hamas militants after U.S. President Joe Biden urged him to seek a de-escalation on Wednesday in the 10-day conflict on the path to a ceasefire.
An Egyptian security source said the two sides had agreed in principle to a ceasefire after help from mediators, although details were still being negotiated in secret amid public denials of a deal to prevent it from collapsing.
Israel said
it has not set a time frame for ending hostilities with Gaza in the latest
escalation of violence between the arch-foes, marked by air strikes and
rockets.
Palestinian
medical officials said 219 people had now been killed in 10 days of aerial
bombardments which also destroyed buildings and infrastructure.
Israeli
authorities put the death toll at 12 in Israel, where repeated rocket attacks
have caused panic.
GAZA/JERUSALEM
– Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a time frame for an end to
hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air
strikes, and Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.
U.S. President Joe Biden prodded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to immediately lower tensions in the Gaza conflict "on the path" to a ceasefire, the White House said.
Netanyahu said earlier he could not set a timeframe for an end to 10 days of hostilities as Israel's military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes and Gaza's ruling Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.
Israel says pressing on with Gaza offensive (Adds Netanyahu comments)
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Jeffrey Heller
GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 19 (Reuters) - Israel said on Wednesday it was not setting a timeframe for an end to hostilities with Gaza as its military pounded the Palestinian enclave with air strikes and Hamas militants unleashed new cross-border rocket attacks.
Palestinian medical officials said 219 people had now been killed in 10 days of aerial bombardments which have destroyed roads, buildings and other infrastructure, and worsened the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Israeli authorities put the death toll at 12 in Israel, where repeated rocket attacks have caused panic and sent people rushing into shelters. Regional and U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified but so far failed.