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Smoke and flares of Israeli illumination rounds over the northern Gaza Strip as seen from the Israel Gaza Border in southern Israel Ariel Schalit/AP/Press Association Images

Gaza conflict: Fighting rages amid continued efforts to reach peace deal

Israel is pushing for a long-term solution to the crisis as attacks on both sides of the Gaza border continued overnight.

FIGHTING RAGED ON both sides of Gaza’s borders early today despite intensified efforts across the region to thrash out a truce to end a week of violence that has cost 136 Palestinian and five Israeli lives.

Diplomatic efforts have involved US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, UN chief Ban Ki-moon and Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi but a deal to end Israel’s offensive on rocket-firing militants in the Gaza Strip remains elusive.

The Israeli military said that during the night it had targeted more than 100 sites across the Gaza Strip, about half of them underground rocket launchers, as well as the internal security ministry and a police compound.

An army spokesman told AFP that since midnight four rockets fired from Gaza had hit southern Israel and a further two were intercepted midair.

The army confirmed its first fatality from rocket attacks yesterday, and a civilian contractor working for the defence ministry was also killed, as a longer-range missile landed near Jerusalem and one hit a building in metropolitan Tel Aviv.

Israel’s offensive, launched on November 14 with the targeted killing of a Hamas military chief, claimed the lives of 26 more Palestinians yesterday and saw saw an air strike on an eight storey building housing AFP’s Gaza City offices, causing no injuries.

Smoke and flares of Israeli illumination rounds over the northern Gaza Strip as seen from the Israel Gaza Border in southern Israel. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

‘Unwavering’

Clinton, who flew last night for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Clinton, said that Washington’s commitment to Israeli security was “rock solid and unwavering.”

But she also stressed that this “is why we believe it is essential to de-escalate the situation” in the Palestinian territory.

And she indicated a truce announcement may not emerge until after she completes visits to the West Bank capital of Ramallah and Cairo for talks with Egypt’s President Morsi.

“In these days ahead, the United States will work with our partners here in Israel and across the region for an outcome that bolsters security for the peace of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region,” said Clinton.

Militant sources in Gaza had initially said a deal could be announced in Cairo on Tuesday night following days of Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

But Hamas officials said the indirect negotiations were ongoing, as an Egyptian official told AFP in Cairo that “the truce announcement is not expected tonight because we are still waiting for a response” from the Jewish state.

An Israeli diplomatic source told AFP that negotiations were ongoing.

“We are working very hard using our diplomatic channels. We are working continuously. But I cannot give you an estimated time of arrival,” at such an agreement, he said.

‘Long-term solution’

A Palestinian pushes a burning tire during clashes with Israeli troops against Israel’s operations in Gaza Strip in the West Bank city of Hebron. (AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

As they held late night talks in Jerusalem, Netanyahu told Clinton he was ready to agree to a “long-term solution” as long as the rocket attacks from Gaza stopped.

“If there’s a possibility of achieving a long-term solution for this problem by diplomatic means, we prefer it. But if not, I’m sure you understand that Israel will have to take every action necessary to defend its people,” he said.

A senior Hamas official told AFP in Cairo that a key sticking point was the timing of when Israel would begin easing its six-year blockade of Gaza.

“A compromise solution is for there to be agreement on lifting the siege, and that it would be implemented later at a specified time,” he said.

The strike on the building housing AFP’s Gaza City office came Tuesday night but caused no injuries.

AFP photographer Mahmud Hams, who was in the fourth-floor office at the time said at least three rockets appeared to have hit the building.

“I grabbed my cameras and left the office with the fixer and there was smoke in the hallways. We ran out of the building,” he said, indicating that smoke and a fire appeared to be coming from an office on one of the upper floors.

The Israeli military confirmed targeting the eight-storey building in Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood.

“We attacked the seventh storey of the building. From what we understand, Hamas had a military intelligence operations room there,” an army spokesman said.

“Warning to reporters in Gaza: Stay away from Hamas operatives and facilities. Hamas, a terrorist group, will use you as human shields,” the Israeli army’s official Twitter account said.

- © AFP, 2012

Read: Ceasefire between Israel and gaza militants “close”

PHOTOS: Israeli soldiers wait at Gaza Strip ‘staging area’

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    Mute Bill Clay
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    Jan 9th 2019, 4:43 PM

    And as they stand solemnly, quietly in reflection over the past 100 years, they raise their heads, look at each other and burst out laughing that they’re still getting away with it

    171
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    Mute Anthony Murphy
    Favourite Anthony Murphy
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    Jan 9th 2019, 4:51 PM

    There still on their xmas holidays ffs

    77
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    Mute Mark Johnson
    Favourite Mark Johnson
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    Jan 9th 2019, 4:49 PM

    a special joint session..like a Marijuana session ?

    41
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    Mute Irish Spider-Man
    Favourite Irish Spider-Man
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:26 PM

    My grandfathers last word::
    Son… it doesn’t matter who you sleep with or what drugs you take but never vote for the Blueshirts

    52
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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jan 9th 2019, 11:56 PM

    @Irish Spider-Man: thought it would be “”don’t forget I was in the GPO in ’16″ lol

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jan 9th 2019, 11:57 PM

    @Irish Spider-Man: you were also your Grandfather’s son.. furked up that family so!

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jan 9th 2019, 4:44 PM

    They could probably re-enact it too if they call a general election and we can wipe out the horrendous current shower of FF and FG idiots in 2019.

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    Mute Daniel Roche
    Favourite Daniel Roche
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:06 PM

    @Adrian: you do realize if there was election this year, either FF or FG would still be in government,what’s the point in wasting tax payers money when know the result already.

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    Mute davey boy
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:07 PM

    @Adrian: And replace them with who? Sinn Fein…

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    Mute MickN
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:22 PM

    @davey boy: There the usual line thrown out, decades and decades have been shared between the two and we have seen the country being bankrupt , a deplorablehousing crisis ,they have assisted banks in robbing people, put unsecured bonds ahead of the people, but sure they are grand leave them at it.
    Giving themselves pay increases while telling nurses be glad of the pitance they are on, but our gombeen nation says gimme more of that, I despair, we deserve all we get……

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:30 PM

    @davey boy: and the irish parlimentary party fellas were probably saying the same thing before the 1918 general election!

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:57 PM

    @davey boy: Well the record of the Blueshirts/F.F. since the foundation of the free state is clearly shown today by the mess the country is in..Do you not find it ironic that the F.F. party that facilitated in the gangsterism of the banks and developers and brought this country to it knees, now keep in power the blueshirts who imposed draconian austerity measures to repay for the gangsterism of the banks and developers . Some record to be proud of there.
    .

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    Mute davey boy
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    Jan 9th 2019, 7:36 PM

    @Donal Desmond: I don’t vote for either FF or FG but there is no alternative.
    Labour abandoned their values.
    Sinn Fein are professional fence sitters.
    Greens want to tax anything with a boiler or an engine.
    SD, Just not enough of them.
    Independents. All single issues lunatics.

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    Mute Adrian
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    Jan 9th 2019, 9:29 PM

    @davey boy: i think it doesn’t need to be a case of nobody else to vote for. Thats what these idiots want you to think. If both FF and FG combined support drops to a level of say low 40′s, they cannot collude to form a gov simply because they don’t have the support, they might look for a rainbow type gov, hard to achieve anything with that, but then more options might emerge in terms of who to vote for if another election is called soon after.

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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Jan 9th 2019, 11:54 PM

    @Donal Desmond: anyone using “Blueshirts, Posh boy, Neo Liberal, FFG” etc, must have only woken up yesterday…. its the default for anyone who can’t reason… buzz words, that identify the user of those words as someone who hasn’t lived long enough to experience life! And no I’m not an apologist for any politician or Party..I’m “A” political…..

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    Mute Lobert Rester
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:14 PM

    Never have so many done so little for people they are supposed to represent. An utter waste of money! Over paid, underperforming parasites.

    49
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    Mute Bill Clay
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:22 PM

    @Lobert Rester: the sad reality being that most of them would be re-elected if an election was called

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    Mute Danny G
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:03 PM

    It’s an awful pity that Marty McFly and Doc Brown didn’t do a trip back to 09011919 to warn them boys of their future successors!! They could have filled the car with poitín or cowshite to get it back to 1985 if they were stuck!

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:07 PM

    Some of our perfect patriots claim to be their natural successors!

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    Mute Nigel o'Neill
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    Jan 9th 2019, 5:18 PM

    Different age, same government

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    Mute paul jones
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    Jan 9th 2019, 6:00 PM

    Talk about a bubble

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