海角大神

Israeli air strikes shook the聽Gaza聽Strip聽and Palestinian rockets struck across the border as U.S. Secretary of State聽Hillary Clinton聽held talks in聽Jerusalem聽in the early hours of Wednesday, seeking a truce that can hold back聽Israel's ground troops.

Hamas, the聽Islamist聽movement controlling Gaza, and聽Egypt, whose new,聽Islamist government聽is trying to broker a truce, had floated hopes for a ceasefire by late Tuesday; but by the time Clinton met Israeli Prime Minister聽Benjamin Netanyahu聽it was clear there would be more argument, and more violence, first.

Hamas聽leaders in聽Cairo聽accused the Jewish state of failing to respond to proposals and said an announcement on holding fire would not come before daylight on Wednesday.聽Israel Radio聽quoted an Israeli official saying a truce was held up due to "a last-minute delay in the understandings between聽Hamas聽and聽Israel".

An initial halt to attacks may, however, not see the sides stand their forces down from battle stations immediately; Clinton, who flies to聽Cairo聽to see Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi later on Wednesday, spoke of a deal "in the days ahead".

As she arrived in聽Israel聽after nightfall,聽Israel聽was stepping up its bombardment. Artillery shells and missiles fired from naval gunboats offshore slammed into the territory and air strikes came at a frequency of about one every 10 minutes.

After seven days of hostilities that have killed over 130 Palestinians and five Israelis, two of these on Tuesday, both sides are looking for more than a return to the sporadic calm that has prevailed across the blockaded enclave since聽Israel聽ended a much bloodier air and ground offensive four years ago.

Election

Netanyahu, who faces an election in two months that he is, for now, favoured to win, told Clinton he wanted a "long-term" solution. Failing that, Netanyahu made clear, he stood ready to step up the military campaign to silence聽Hamas's rockets.

Hamas聽for its part is exploring the opportunities that last year's Arab Spring has given it to enjoy favour from the new聽Islamist聽governments of states once ruled by U.S. proteges, and from Sunni Gulf powers keen to woo it away from Shi'ite Iran. It has used longer-range missiles, some sent by聽Tehran, and hopes to eclipse Western-backed Palestinian President聽Mahmoud Abbas.

Hamas聽has spoken of an easing of聽Israel's blockade on the 40-km (25-mile) slice of聽Mediterranean coast聽that is home to 1.7 million people. It may count on some sympathy from Mursi, though聽Egypt's first freely elected leader, whose聽Muslim Brotherhood聽inspired聽Hamas's founders, has been careful to stick by the 1979 peace deal with聽Israel聽struck by聽Cairo's former military rulers.

Clinton, who broke off from an Asian tour with President聽Barack Obama聽and assured Netanyahu of "rock-solid" U.S. support for聽Israel's security, spoke of seeking a "durable outcome" and of聽Egypt's "responsibility" for promoting peace.

She repeated international calls for the kind of lasting, negotiated, comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian settlement that has eluded the two peoples for decades - something neither of the two warring parties seems seriously to be anticipating.

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

"It is essential to de-escalate the situation in Gaza. The rocket attacks from terrorist organisations inside Gaza聽on Israeli cities and towns must end and a broader calm restored.

"The goal must be a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike."聽

'Self-defense'

Netanyahu, who has appeared in no immediate rush to repeat the invasion of winter 2008-09 in which over 1,400 Palestinians died, said: "If there is a possibility of achieving a long-term solution to this problem with diplomatic means, we prefer that.

"But if not, I'm sure you understand that聽Israel聽will have to take whatever action is necessary to defend its people."

As Israeli aircraft have carried out hundreds of strikes on rocket stores, launchpads and suspected聽Hamas聽command posts since assassinating the head of its military wing a week ago, tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers have been preparing tanks and infantry units for a possible invasion.

During the night, explosions again rocked the city of Gaza聽and other parts of the Strip, while rockets from the enclave, some essentially home-made, others Iranian-designed and smuggled through tunnels from聽Egypt, landed in聽southern Israel.

One reached as far as Rishon Lezion, near聽Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, the latest to jar聽Israel's metropolis, long untroubled by Palestinian attacks. Another rocket fell close to聽Jerusalem, the holy city claimed by both sides in the conflict.

Medical officials in Gaza聽said 31 Palestinians were killed on Tuesday. An Israeli soldier and a civilian died when rockets exploded near the Gaza聽frontier, police and the聽army聽said.

Gaza medical officials say 138 people have died in Israeli strikes, mostly civilians, including 34 children. In all, five Israelis have died, including three civilians killed last week.

Ammunition stores聽

Obama, whose relations with the hawkish Netanyahu have long been strained, has said he wants a diplomatic solution, rather than a possible Israeli ground operation in the densely populated territory, home to 1.7 million Palestinians.

Israel's military聽on Tuesday targeted more than 130 sites in Gaza, including ammunition stores and the聽Gaza headquarters聽of the National Islamic Bank.聽Israeli police聽said more than 150 rockets had been fired from Gaza聽by the evening.

"No country would tolerate rocket attacks against its cities and against its civilians," Netanyahu said with U.N. 厂别肠谤别迟补谤测-骋别苍别谤补濒听Ban Ki-moon, who arrived in聽Jerusalem聽from talks in聽Cairo, at his side. "Israel聽cannot tolerate such attacks."

Critics have accused聽Israel聽of using disproportionate force that has killed civilians.聽Israel聽accuses聽Hamas聽of putting Gaza's people in harm's way by siting rockets among them.

Media groups have criticised attacks on Gaza聽media facilities. On Tuesday, three local journalists died in air strikes on their vehicles.

A building housing AFP's bureau was bombed. The French news agency said its staff were unhurt.聽Israel's military聽said it had been targeting a聽Hamas聽intelligence centre in the tower.

Hamas聽executed six Palestinians accused of spying for聽Israel, who a security source quoted by聽Hamas聽Aqsa radio said had been "caught red-handed" with "filming equipment to take footage of positions". The radio said they had been shot.

Militants on a motorcycle dragged the body of one of the men through the streets.

A delegation of nine Arab ministers, led by the Egyptian foreign minister, visited聽Gaza in a further signal of heightened Arab solidarity with the Palestinians.