Gaza: Israeli Soldiers Shoot Dead Man At Border

Israeli troops have shot and killed a Palestinian man and wounded at least 15 others after crowds surged towards Gaza's border fence with Israel.

The shooting did not appear to pose an immediate threat to the ceasefire declared on Wednesday night, which called for an end to Gaza rocket fire on Israel and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

It appeared unlikely Hamas would retaliate for the shooting because that could jeopardise the militant group's potential gains from the ceasefire deal, such as an easing of restrictions on movement in and out of the Palestinian territory.

Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister in Gaza, has urged militant factions to respect the ceasefire.

But Nafez Azzam, a spokesman for Gaza's Islamic Jihad, said the shooting was a violation of the truce and added that Egypt had been informed.

It is believed hundreds of Palestinians approached Israel's border fence in several locations in southern Gaza.

In the past, Israel's military has barred Palestinians from getting close to the fence, and soldiers opened fire routinely to enforce a no-go zone meant to prevent infiltrations into Israel.

Since the ceasefire, growing numbers of Gazans have entered the no-go zone.

In footage taken along the border on Friday, a soldier is heard shouting in Hebrew "Go there, before I shoot you," and pointed away from the fence, toward Gaza.

Israeli troops guard the border

The soldier then dropped to one knee, assuming a firing position. Eventually, a burst of automatic fire was heard, but it was not clear whether any of the casualties were from this incident.

Gaza health official Ashraf al Kidra said the victim was a 20-year-old man.

On Thursday Israeli police said 12 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip but there were no reports of any injuries or damage.

The truce has allowed both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from the brink of a fully-fledged war.

Over eight days, Israel's aircraft carried out some 1,500 strikes on Hamas-linked targets, while Gaza fighters peppered Israel with roughly the same number of rockets.

The fighting killed 166 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, and six Israelis.

In Cairo, Egypt is hosting separate talks with Israeli and Hamas envoys on the next phase of the ceasefire - a new border deal for blockaded Gaza.

Hamas demands lifting of all border restrictions, while Israel insists that Hamas must halt weapons smuggling to the territory.

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Egypt Protests: Brotherhood Offices Set Alight

Violent clashes broke out in cities across Egypt after President Mohamed Morsi granted himself sweeping new powers.

In Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city, protesters stormed the headquarters of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party throwing chairs and books into the street and setting them on fire.

Police fired tear gas on crowds gathered in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, the scene of the violent clashes during the overthrow of the former president, Hosni Mubarak.

The Daily News Egypt reported injuries in cities across the country as violent clashes broke out between protesters and Mr Morsi's supporters, who according to reports on Twitter, were being bussed in to counter the dissenters.

Protesters storm the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Alexandria.

Hundreds gathered outside the Muslim Brotherhood's offices in Port Said, pelting it with stones and attempting to storm the building.

There were reports the Muslim Brotherhood's offices in Suez and Ismailiya had also been set on fire.

Mr Morsi addressed his supporters at a rally outside the presidential palace telling them he would press forward and that he was on the path to "freedom and democracy".

He said: "No one can stop our march forward ... I am performing my duty to please God and the nation and I take decisions after I consult with everyone." 

He said that the new powers were designed to stop "weevils" from the former Mubarack regime blocking progress. 

Supporters and opponents of the president clash in Alexandria.

Under the new powers assumed by Mr Morsi, none of his laws or decrees can be cancelled, powers have been removed from the judiciary and he can take any measures necessary to safeguard national security.

The move has come as a blow to the pro-democracy movement that formed before Mubarak was ousted and they raise questions about the gains made in last year's uprising.

Opposition forces have denounced the declaration as a "coup". 

They accused Mr Morsi, an Islamist, of "monopolising all three branches of government" and of overseeing "the total execution of the independence of the judiciary".

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Navi Pillay, said that Mr Morsi's move raised serious issues.

Mohamed ElBaradei (centre) says the powers are a blow to the revolution

Her spokesman, Robert Colville, told a news briefing at the UN in Geneva: "We are very concerned about the possible huge ramifications of this declaration on human rights and the rule of law in Egypt."

The EU has also issued a warning. "It is of utmost importance that democratic process be completed in accordance with the commitments undertaken by the Egyptian leadership," a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said in a statement.

Nobel laureate and former UN atomic energy agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei had earlier lashed out at the declaration, which would effectively put the president above judicial oversight.

"Morsi usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh. A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences," Mr ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.

The head of the influential Judge's Club, Ahmed al Zind, told a news conference that the judges would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to decide on their next step, promising "actions, not words".

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Two Dead After 100-Car Pile-Up In Texas

Two people died and up to 100 were hurt when at least 100 vehicles collided on a Texas highway in dense fog.

The Thanksgiving holiday morning crash left trucks twisted on top of each other and authorities rushing to pull survivors from the wreckage.

Twelve of those injured were in a critical condition, officials said.

Firefighters used cutting equipment to free some drivers. Photo: KBMT12

The pile-up happened on the on Interstate 10 about 80 miles (128km) east of Houston.

"It is catastrophic," said Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Deputy Rod Carroll. "I've got cars on top of cars."

It wasn't immediately clear how the pile-up began, but Mr Carroll said the fog was so thick that officers didn't immediately realise they were dealing with multiple accidents.

The pile-up came on the busiest travel day of the year. Photo: KBMT12

I-10's eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed for most of Thursday.

Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Stephanie Davis told KFDM that two people in an SUV died after the crash. She said at least 100 cars and trucks were involved in the accident.

Mr Carroll said uninjured drivers tried to help as authorities sorted through the wreckage.

"It's just people helping people," Mr Carroll said. "The foremost thing in this holiday season is how other travellers were helping us when we were overwhelmed, sitting and holding, putting pressure on people that were injured."

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Egypt's President Faces 'New Pharaoh' Jibe

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has assumed sweeping new powers, drawing criticism that he is seeking to become a "new pharaoh".

The new powers are a blow to the pro-democracy movement that ousted Hosni Mubarak and they raise questions about the gains made in last year's uprising.

Opposition forces denounced the declaration as a "coup" and called for nationwide protests on Friday.

"The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution," according to a decree read out on television by presidential spokesman Yasser Ali.

"The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal."

"This is a coup against legitimacy... We are calling on all Egyptians to protest in all of Egypt's squares on Friday," said Sameh Ashour, head of the Lawyers syndicate.

Mohamed ElBaradei (centre) says the powers are a blow to the revolution

They accused Morsi, an Islamist, of "monopolising all three branches of government" and of overseeing "the total execution of the independence of the judiciary".

Nobel laureate and former UN atomic energy agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei had earlier lashed out at the declaration, which would effectively put the president above judicial oversight.

"Morsi today usurped all state powers and appointed himself Egypt's new pharaoh. A major blow to the revolution that could have dire consequences," ElBaradei wrote on his Twitter account.

The head of the influential Judge's Club, Ahmed al-Zind, told a press conference that the judges would hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to decide on their next step, promising "actions, not words".

Morsi also sacked prosecutor general Abdel Meguid Mahmud, whom he failed to oust last month amid strong misgivings among the president's supporters about the failure to secure convictions of more members of the old regime.

He appointed Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah to replace Mahmud and, within minutes of the announcement, the new prosecutor was shown on television being sworn in.

Abdullah later issued a brief statement on state television, pledging to "work day and night to achieve the goals of the revolution".

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Tel Aviv Bus Bombing 'Act Of Lone Operator'

Israeli intelligence officials have said a bus bomber who injured at least 21 people in Tel Aviv was a lone operator with no links to any major groups, according to Sky sources.

The explosion took place across from the military headquarters - on the eighth day of an Israeli offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza - and hours before a ceasefire was announced.

Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, immediately condemned the explosion as a "terrorist attack".

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri praised the bombing, but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

"Hamas blesses the attack in Tel Aviv and sees it as a natural response to the Israeli massacres ... in Gaza," he said.

Emergency services tend to the injured as crowds gather after the blast

Police said it was not a suicide attack and suggested an explosive may have been planted on the No 142 bus as forensic teams took away  bomb fragments for analysis.

Israeli Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Sky News: "We have heightened security all around the Tel Aviv area in order to also see if there are any suspects that fled the area."

Unconfirmed reports from Israel said police were holding a man caught running away from the scene moments before the bombing, and were looking for a woman who was on the bus earlier.

The driver, who escaped largely unscathed, told reporters he had not seen anyone suspicious get on board. "I felt the explosion ... smoke was everywhere, you couldn't see a thing," he said.

Passenger Yehuda Samarano, 59, who suffered shrapnel wounds to his chest and leg, said from his hospital bed: "I flew from my seat. Everything became white and my ears are still ringing now."

The blast happened at around noon in one of the coastal city's busiest areas, near the Tel Aviv Museum, business hub, diamond district and an entrance to the Kirya, Israel's national defence headquarters.

Israeli medics wheel a wounded woman away from the scene

Television footage showed pictures of a smoke-filled bus, charred inside with its windows blown out.

Leor Sinai, a resident who visited the scene after the explosion, said there was "chaos, mayhem".

He told Sky News: "Thankfully, there's a hospital around the corner so the people were brought right to the hospital. They were, from what I hear, hit with nails, that the bomb was filled with nails and little sort of marbles that kind of flew in all different directions."

Medics said three of the wounded were in a moderate-to-serious condition. Some reports suggested up to 17 or 21 people had been injured in the blast.

Israel has been locked in a deadly week-long confrontation with Palestinian militants in Gaza after an Egypt-brokered truce fell through.

But an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, to begin on Wednesday evening, has now been confirmed.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the bus explosion was of "deep concern".

Israeli police officers comb the bus and its surroundings for evidence

The White House also condemned the attack as an "outrageous" assault on "innocent Israeli civilians".

Hamas militants have fired at least four rockets at Tel Aviv in the past week, but none have resulted in direct hits or any casualties.

The last time the city was hit by a significant bomb blast was in April 2006, when a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 11 people at a sandwich stand near the city's old central bus station.

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Gaza: Israel And Hamas Ceasefire Under Way

A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has come into effect after eight days of violence that has left more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis dead.

Egyptian foreign minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced the breakthrough at a news conference in Cairo. The truce began at 7pm (UK time).

There was a last spasm of Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes just minutes before the deal came into effect.

After 7pm, people took to the streets of Gaza City to celebrate, with gunmen firing into the air and others setting off fireworks.

An Israeli artillery gun fires into the Gaza Strip earlier on Wednesday

But the mood was more subdued in Israel. Speaking from Tel Aviv, Sky News defence correspondent David Bowden said: "The people I've been speaking to say: 'We will believe it when we see it. We've been here before and it eventually breaks down'."

He said in the city of Sderot - near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip - there were reports of demonstrations against the ceasefire, with residents expressing disappointment at Israel's decision not to send ground troops across the border.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described the ceasefire agreement as "a critical moment for the region".

"Egypt's new government is assuming the responsibility and leadership that has long made this country a cornerstone of regional stability and peace," she said.

"The United States welcomes the agreement today for a ceasefire in Gaza. For it to hold the rocket attacks must end, a broader calm returned.

Mr Ban and Mr Abbas discussing the crisis in Ramallah

"The people of this region deserve the chance to live free from fear and violence, and today's agreement is step in the right direction that we should build on.

"Now we have to focus on reaching a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security, dignity and legitimate aspirations of Palestinians and Israelis alike."

Mrs Clinton pledged the US would continue to work with Egypt to consolidate the truce in the days ahead by improving conditions for the people of Gaza and providing security for Israelis.

According to reports, Israel and Hamas have agreed to an immediate halt in the violence. Israel will end its policy of assassinating top Hamas officials, while Hamas has promised to halt all rocket fire by the many militant groups operating in the Gaza Strip.

After a brief cooling off period, Israel has also pledged to ease its blockade of Gaza, though there have been no firm assurances on how that will be done. Israel has maintained the blockade since Hamas seized power of Gaza in 2007, though it has gradually lifted many of the restrictions.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon welcomed the truce, but said some details of the deal were yet to be agreed.

The destroyed compound of the internal security ministry in Gaza City

"We are encouraged and relieved that they have reached this ceasefire," Mr Ban said.

"There are still many details to be solidified for a durable ceasefire. I hope they will finalise these details as soon possible."

Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, said on his Facebook page that talks on a new border arrangement would begin after the 24-hour cooling off period.

The deal follows talks between Mr Amr, Mrs Clinton and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who also sat down with Mr Ban separately to discuss the crisis.

Mr Ban also met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the crisis.

Earlier, a bus bombing in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv that left at least 21 people wounded had threatened to derail the negotiations.

Moments after the deal was announced, an air-raid siren signalled a rocket attack in southern Israel, while an airstrike could be heard in Gaza.

Palestinian militants fired five rockets into the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. One rocket hit a house inside the city, police said. No injuries were reported.

In the last-minute burst of fire, Palestinian militants fired five rockets into the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. One rocket hit a house inside the city, police said. No injuries were reported.

Immediately after the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had agreed to "give a chance" to the Egyptian-brokered agreement after speaking to US President Barack Obama.

A statement from his office said Mr Netanyahu "agreed to his recommendation to give a chance to an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire and thereby give an opportunity for the stabilisation of the situation and a calming of it".

Mr Obama welcomed the move and said the United States would use the opportunity to intensify efforts to help Israel address its security needs, particularly the smuggling of weapons and explosives into Gaza, the White House said.

The US President also said he would seek more money for the Iron Dome defence system that has protected Israel from rocket attacks.

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Israel: Gaza Ceasefire Is 'Not There Yet'

An Israeli government spokesman has told Sky News a ceasefire with Gaza militants is "not there yet".

Hamas official Ayman Taha said earlier that an Egyptian-brokered truce had been finalised and would take effect from 10pm UK time.

But spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Mark Regev said the announcement of a ceasefire was premature and Israeli military operations in Gaza would continue in parallel with diplomacy.

Mr Regev would not give any details of the discussions but told Sky News Israel wants a long-term resolution and does not want to just give Hamas a "time out to lick its wounds".

Hamas' Ezzat al Rishq said the truce had been held up because Israel had not responded to the proposals and it was confirmed there would be no announcement from Cairo on Tuesday.

Israeli homeowners inspect damage after a rocket attack in Beersheba

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem and pledged her continued support to Israel and praised its Iron Dome defence system.

She also offered her sympathy to those affected by the rocket attacks: "Our hearts break for the loss of every civilian; Israeli and Palestinian.

"In the end there is no substitute for security and for a just and lasting peace," she added.

President Barack Obama phoned Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi for a third time in 24 hours to commend him on his efforts to ease the tensions.

Speaking during talks with the UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said his country would be a "willing partner" in a long-term solution to the conflict.

Gaza residents flee their homes on November 20

He reiterated that Israel will not tolerate rocket attacks on its cities and people but said he wanted to work towards a diplomatic resolution.

The Israeli military said an 18-year-old soldier was killed in a rocket attack on southern Israel.

It was the military's first fatality since it launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip last Wednesday.

At least 130 people have been killed in Gaza, including around 31 children, and at least five Israelis are also dead as the conflict continues.

Mr Ban said his "paramount concern" is for all civilians, both in Israel and Gaza and urged strong caution against an Israeli ground offensive.

A bus in southern Israel damaged by a rocket attack from Gaza

"Further escalation would be dangerous and tragic for the entire region," he added.

In a press conference with Mr Ban later, Israel's President Shimon Peres said he would prefer to deal with Gaza by "talking and not shooting" but added that the defence forces were "extremely careful not to hit civilian life".

"Hamas opened it, Hamas can end it," he added.

Six Palestinian men accused of being spies for Israel were executed at an intersection in Gaza, just hours after Mr Ban called for a halt to the conflict during talks in Cairo with the Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby.

Witnesses said the six men were dragged out of a van and forced to lie down in the street before they were shot by masked gunmen.

Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, reporting from Gaza, said: "We understand six men were taken into a square ... and were executed in front of crowds."

Israeli troops near the Gaza border prepare weapons ahead of any invasion

It has been reported that five of the bodies lay in a pile as a mob stomped and spit on them. A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the streets as people screamed, "Spy! Spy!"

The Hamas military wing has claimed responsibility for the executions.

Earlier Israel's air force dropped leaflets across areas of Gaza City urging people to evacuate their homes "immediately".

"For your own safety, you are required to immediately evacuate your homes and move toward Gaza City centre," the one-page Arabic-language leaflet said.

Map of Israel and Gaza

Sky's Sam Kiley said the leaflet drop could be part of a propaganda exercise to show Hamas that Israel is seriously considering an imminent ground invasion.

Meanwhile a man identified as the most elusive top Hamas commander, and a founder of its military wing, has urged the group's fighters to keep up attacks on Israel.

Mohammed Deif, seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike in 2003, reportedly said on Hamas-run radio that fighters "must invest all resources to uproot this aggressor from our land".

Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons: "We have made clear that Hamas must bear primary responsibility for the start of the current crisis but also that all side have responsibilities."

"We quickly called on Israel to seek every opportunity to deescalate their military response and to observe international humanitarian law and avoid civilian casualties."

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Mumbai Terrorist Mohammed Kasab Is Executed

The sole surviving Mumbai terrorist attacker has been executed after the Indian president rejected his mercy plea.

Mohammed Kasab was one of 10 gunmen who laid siege to the city in attacks that lasted nearly three days and killed 166 people.

He was sentenced to death in May 2010 after he was found guilty of a string of charges, including waging war against India, murder and terrorist acts.

Pakistan-born Kasab was hanged on Wednesday at Yerwada prison in Pune, hours after India's president Pranab Mukherjee turned down a last-ditch mercy plea.

"This is a tribute to all innocent people and police officers who lost their lives in this heinous attack on our nation," said R.R. Patil, the home minister for the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located.

It was the first time a capital sentence had been carried out in India since 2004.

India accuses Pakistan-based militants of organizing the attacks, saying Islamabad is failing to act against those behind the raids.

Pakistan denies involvement and says it is prosecuting seven suspected militants for their role.

More follows...

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Gaza: Israel Launches 'Citizen's War Room'

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent

The Eshkol region runs two thirds of the length of Israel's border with Gaza and consequently has suffered most from the persistent rocket attacks fired by militants from the strip.

Locals say that more than half of all of the hundreds of rockets and mortars that have targeted Israel in the last week have been aimed at Eshkol.

It is a farming area and provides much of Israel's home-grown produce. The area is also covered with Kibbutz.

The number of attacks from Gaza and the proximity of Eshkol to the Hamas-controlled enclave, has led the 14,000 or so residents to set up their own emergency control centre.

They call it their 'War Room'. It warns of incoming missiles and assists neighbours when and if they are hit by them. It has a direct link to the Israeli Defence Forces, but is staffed entirely by civilians.

Many of the families who live in Eshkol have sent their children north to stay with friends or relatives to keep them safe from the rocket attacks.

In just 20 minutes, while we were talking to 'Eyal' in the Sufa Kibbutz, two mortars whizzed over our heads and exploded harmlessly behind us.

They are over Eshkol before the warning system can even kick in. As the second lands with a loud thump, 'Eyal' calmly tells us: "That was an unannounced mortar; welcome to Israel."

In the War Room, down two flights of steps deep underground and safe from overhead rockets, the emergency council meets around a long table to discuss their safety plans.

Emergency co-ordinator Tamara Cohen (R) with Sky's David Bowden

Next door in the information room a bank of computers, telephones and maps monitor the airwaves for rocket warnings. Tamara Cohen, who in more peaceful times is the mayor's PA, acts as emergency co-ordinator.

When asked how long the residents have to take cover after a rocket is launched, she says: "We have 15 seconds at the most. Most of the time less than that."

Asked what you can do such little time, her answer is succinct: "Run, run fast."

The people of Eshkol are advised not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, which is why the roads are all but deserted.

Those vehicles that are moving around now tend to be military; tanks, Humvees and armoured personnel carriers.

Israel has made it clear that if air strikes do not silence the rockets from Gaza then the army will launch a ground offensive into the strip by sea.

Most in Eshkol see it as the only realistic long-term solution. "We have to think what will happen if we stop it now," says council member Ronit Minaker.

"What will be the next day? Will we still have rockets here on our citizens? We can't allow that, no one can allow it."

It is a view echoed by the council's head of information, Boaz Kretchmer, whose son is in the Israeli army. "I'm not Chief of Staff of Israel, but I believe it should go on until it will be a solution for a long term," he says.

Asked if that means a ground war is inevitable, he says: "Yes."

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UN Chief To Meet Israeli And Palestinian Leaders

The UN secretary general will meet the Israeli and Palestinian leaders as part of a growing effort to stop the ongoing Gaza conflict.

Ban Ki-moon will host talks with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas this week.

Mr Ban arrived in Cairo late on Monday, where UN spokesman Martin Nesirky confirmed that the UN chief would later meet Egypt's foreign minister Mohammed Kamel Amr.

He is also due to host talks with Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi and Arab League chief Nabil al Arabi on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama has called both Mr Netanyahu and Mr Morsi to discuss ways to de-escalate the conflict.

In a statement, the White House said Mr Obama expressed regret for the deaths of Israeli and Palestinian civilians in his calls with both leaders.

The Israeli cabinet also met late met late on Monday to discuss an Egyptian proposal for ending the violence.

A report on Israeli public radio did not identify the main points of the Egyptian plan, which emerged following indirect negotiations in Cairo between Israeli officials and Palestinian representatives.

The report said Israel wanted to see a 24 to 48-hour truce take effect that could then be used to negotiate the finer details of a full ceasefire agreement.

There was no immediate indication on whether a firm decision on Egypt's proposal would emerge from the cabinet meeting.

Gaza, left, and Ashkelon, in Israel, right, have been targeted

Both sides continued their attacks on Monday as the efforts to bring about a truce gathered pace.

One person was confirmed dead following a large explosion at a central Gaza building used by local and foreign media, including Sky News Arabia.

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said the dead man was Ramaz Harab, one of its senior commanders.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) later said it had targeted a "hideout" used by senior operatives from Islamic Jihad.

It named four individuals, including Ramaz Harab, who were in the building and said they had been involved in firing rockets at Israel.

Health officials said several others were wounded in the attack, which is the second strike on the building in two days.

The IDF accused militants of "cynically (using) those inside civilian-populated institutions as human shields".

The Hamas TV station Al Aqsa is located on the top floor of the building. The third floor took the brunt of the explosion.

The building is also said to house communications equipment used by Hamas.

Thousands of Israeli troops have been readied for a ground offensive

Israeli aircraft struck several crowded areas in the Gaza Strip, driving up the Palestinian death toll to above 90 over the six-day offensive, including 50 civilians, according to reports.

Hamas fighters have fired hundreds of rockets into Israel since Wednesday, including one that hit an empty school in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Monday.

On the Israeli side, three civilians have died from Palestinian rocket fire since the violence erupted and dozens have been wounded. An Israeli rocket-defence system has intercepted hundreds of rockets bound for populated areas.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said on Monday that Mr Netanyahu has requested a truce - a claim denied by Israel - and he called on Israel to initiate a ceasefire because "they started the war".

Speaking at a news conference in Cairo, Mr Meshaal called on rights groups to "expose" Israeli "crimes" and said Gaza-based Hamas would not yield to any Israeli conditions.

Israeli officials said earlier that the country was ready to launch a ground offensive but that it preferred a diplomatic solution.

After an initial lull in attacks on Monday morning, airstrikes escalated as Egypt was trying to broker a ceasefire with the help of Turkey and Qatar. Egypt's prime minister said a peace deal between the two sides could be close.

In Gaza City, thousands of mourners attended funerals of four children who were killed on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike. The missile reduced their home to rubble - the Israeli navy said a wanted militant was hiding inside.

Turkey's foreign minister and a delegation of Arab foreign ministers were expected in Gaza on Tuesday.

Middle East envoy Tony Blair met Israel's president, Shimon Peres, for talks earlier and said he hoped both sides could find a way to end the violence.

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