Diplomatic moves towards a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gathered pace on Thursday after US President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation, but Israel kept up its bombardment of Gaza and Hamas rocket fire resumed after a pause.
A senior official in the Hamas militant group predicted a ceasefire within days. An Israeli minister said Israel would halt its offensive only when it had achieved its goals.
Rocket attacks on Israel stopped for eight hours on Thursday – the 11th day of hostilities – before resuming against communities near the Israel-Gaza border.
Israel continued its air strikes in Hamas-run Gaza, saying it wanted to deter the Islamist group from future confrontation after the current conflict halted.
Since the fighting began on May 10, health officials in Gaza say 230 Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women, have been killed and more than 1,700 wounded in aerial bombardments.
Israeli authorities put the death toll to date at 12 in Israel, with 336 people treated for injuries in rocket attacks that have caused panic and sent people rushing into shelters.
Biden on Wednesday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a “de-escalation.” An Egyptian security source said the sides had agreed in principle to a ceasefire but details needed to be worked out.
