GAZA/RAMALLAH - Israel on Sunday rebuffed growing international pressure for a ceasefire and said its forces had encircled Gaza City, as the top US diplomat scrambled to contain a crisis that threatened to cause further escalation in neighbouring Lebanon.
Gaza was under “unprecedented bombardment” from Israel on Sunday, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, while Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel said that all communications and Internet services had again been cut.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas joined international calls for an immediate ceasefire at a meeting with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was making an unannounced visit to the occupied West Bank.
After Mr Blinken repeated US concerns that a ceasefire could aid Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled that out unless hostages held by Hamas were released.
“There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Blinken arrived in Ankara late on Sunday for further talks on the Gaza conflict with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday.
Hours earlier at a pro-Palestinian rally in southern Turkey, police used tear gas and water cannon on hundreds of people who tried to storm an airbase that houses US troops.
Gaza City surrounded
A military spokesman said Israeli forces had surrounded the main city in Gaza.
“They reached the coast in the southern part of Gaza City and they encircled Gaza City,” he said.
Tensions increased with Lebanon as an Israeli strike on a car in the south of the country killed three children and their grandmother, the Lebanese authorities said.
Israel’s chief military spokesman said the military had attacked “terrorist targets of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon” in response to a missile attack against tanks that killed an Israeli citizen.
He added that a Hezbollah drone was shot down.
Hezbollah said it responded by firing rockets at the town of Kiryat Shmona in northern Israel. The group said it would never tolerate attacks on civilians and its response would be “firm and strong”.
Sirens sounded across central Israel, and Israeli media reported that rockets had struck areas in and around Tel Aviv. No casualties were reported.
Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza said more than 9,770 Palestinians have been killed in the war, which began when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 240 hostages.
Israel said 31 of its soldiers have been killed so far.
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2023-11-05 22:47:00Z
CBMicWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QvaXNyYWVsLXJlYnVmZnMtY2FsbHMtZm9yLWNlYXNlZmlyZS1sZWJhbm9uLXN0cmlrZS1hbmdlcnMtaGV6Ym9sbGFo0gEA
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