Israel puts ‘temporary hold’ on Gaza ground operation

ISRAEL: Senior Israeli ministers decided overnight to hold off from launching a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to give Egyptian-led truce efforts a chance to work, a senior Israeli official said Tuesday.

“A decision was taken that for the time being there is a temporary hold on the ground incursion to give diplomacy a chance to succeed,” he told AFP following a late-night session of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner circle, the Forum of Nine.

“They discussed both the state of the diplomacy and the military operation,” he said on condition of anonymity.

As an Egyptian ceasefire proposal appears to be emerging from indirect negotiations in Cairo between Israel and a Hamas team, a stream of top-level diplomats were expected to arrive in the region to throw their weight behind efforts to end the violence which on Tuesday entered its seventh day.

Arab ministers visit Gaza -Arab League

EGYPT: Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi accompanied by 10 Arab foreign ministers crossed into Gaza from Egypt on Tuesday to show support for the Palestinians, the league's Deputy Secretary General told AFP.

“The main goal is to express Arab solidarity and support for the steadfastness of the people and Gaza,” he said.

At least 112 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed since Israel launched air strikes against the Hamas-controlled territory last Wednesday in a bid to stop militants firing rockets into the Jewish state.

China backs calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

CHINA: China backed calls Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict and urged the UN Security Council and the international community to bring peace to the region.

A statement by China's foreign ministry came as senior Israeli ministers decided overnight to hold off from launching a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to give Egyptian-led truce efforts a chance to work.

Israel strikes Islamic bank

GAZA CITY: Three Palestinians were killed in two separate strikes in Gaza on Tuesday morning, after a night of relative quiet, the ambulance services spokesman said.

“Two citizens were martyred in two raids in the Mughraqa area, in southern Gaza City, and a third was killed in Beit Lahiya,” Adham Abu Selmiya said.

The Israeli military said it attacked about 100 targets in the coastal strip during the night, using aircraft, warships and artillery.