海角大神

Israel聽pounded targets across the聽Gaza Strip聽on Tuesday, dashing hopes of a pause in the fighting, as the military said one of its soldiers was聽missing, presumed dead, following clashes with聽Hamas听滨蝉濒补尘颈蝉迟蝉.

International efforts to end the 15-day conflict gathered pace, with U.S. Secretary of State聽John Kerry聽holding talks in聽Egypt聽and U.N. Secretary General聽Ban Ki-moon聽due to arrive in聽Israel聽later in the day.

However, there was no sign of any let-up in the fighting around聽Gaza, with plumes of black smoke spiraling into the sky, and聽Israeli聽shells raining down on the coastal enclave.

Hamas聽and its allies fired a barrage of rockets into southern and聽central Israel, triggering sirens in聽Tel Aviv, with one missile striking a nearby town, lightly injuring two people, officials said.

Israel聽launched its offensive on July 8 to halt missile fire out of聽Gaza聽by聽Hamas, which was angered by a crackdown on its supporters in the occupied聽West Bank聽and suffering economic hardship because of anIsraeli-Egyptian blockade.

The聽Israeli聽military聽said it had identified the remains of six soldiers killed in an attack on their armored vehicle inside聽Gaza聽on Sunday. It had already announced that seven died in the strike and said it was trying to identify the seventh.

Sparking widespread celebrations in聽Gaza,聽Hamas's armed wing announced on Sunday that it had captured a soldier in Sunday's clashes. It displayed a photo ID and army serial number of the man, but did not show any image of him in their hands.

The聽Israeli聽military聽believes it was impossible for anyone to have survived the hit on the army APC.

Israel聽has agreed to mass releases of Palestinian prisoners in the past to secure the freedom of captured soldiers, or even for the return of the bodies of its citizens.

With the conflict entering its third week, the Palestinian death toll rose to almost 550, including nearly 100 children and many other civilians,聽Gaza聽health officials said.

The聽Israeli聽military聽said it had killed 183 militants.

Israel's casualties also mounted, with the military announcing the deaths of two more soldiers, bringing the number of army fatalities to 27 - almost three times as many as were killed in the last ground invasion of聽Gazain a 2008-2009 war.

Two聽Israeli聽civilians have also been killed by Palestinian rocket fire into聽Israel.

Palestinian militants in聽Gaza聽said they had agreed to a five-hour ceasefire on Tuesday to allow Gazan residents to leave their homes and seek vital supplies, and accused聽Israel聽of rejecting the proposal.聽Israeliofficials did not comment.

Violence spread to the nearby聽West Bank, where medics said soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man while dispersing stone-throwing protesters. A Palestinian shot and seriously wounded an聽Israeli聽in the聽Nablus聽area on Tuesday.

DIPLOMACY

Dispatched by U.S. President聽Barack Obama聽to the聽Middle East聽to seek a ceasefire, Kerry held talks on Tuesday in聽Cairo聽with Egyptian Foreign Minister聽Sameh Shukri.

Egypt聽was key to securing an end to a previous bout of聽Gaza聽fighting in 2012, but the country's new leadership is openly hostile to聽Hamas, potentially complicating the negotiations.

"We hope (Kerry's) visit will result in a ceasefire that provides the necessary security for the Palestinian people and that we can commence to address the medium and long-term issues related to聽Gaza," Shukri said.

Israel聽has signaled it is not in a hurry to achieve a truce before reaching its goal of crippling聽Hamas's militant infrastructure, including rocket arsenals and networks of tunnels threatening Israelis living along the聽Gazafrontier.

Hamas聽has also said it will not cease hostilities until its demands are met, including that聽Israel聽and聽Egypt聽lift their blockade of聽Gaza聽and its 1.8 million people, and that聽Israel聽release several hundred Palestinians detained during a search last month for three Jewish teenagers later found dead.

Israel聽blamed the killings on聽Hamas.

"The world must understand that聽Gaza聽has decided to end the blockade by its blood and its heroism," deputyHamas聽leader聽Ismail Haniyeh聽said in a televised address on Monday.

Kerry said the聽United States聽would provide $47 million in humanitarian aid for聽Gaza. Washington is "deeply concerned about the consequences of聽Israel's appropriate and legitimate effort to defend itself," Kerry said. "No country can stand by when rockets are attacking it."

"But always, in any kind of conflict, there is a concern about civilians - about children, women, communities that are caught in it," Kerry said.

Kerry plans to stay in聽Cairo聽until Wednesday morning but has no set departure date from the region. Officials said he might travel to聽Qatar, a Gulf state which has relatively close ties to聽Hamas聽and hosts its leader,聽Khaled Meshaal.

With聽Israeli聽shells and bombs hitting聽Gaza聽day and night, thousands of people have fled districts close to the border, where the worst of the fighting has taken place. But with access to聽Israel聽and聽Egypt聽closed, there are few safe havens.

The main U.N. agency in聽Gaza, UNWRA, said 101,684 people have taken shelter in 69 of its schools, the number of displaced increasing five times in the last five days.

"This crisis of human displacement is a result of the dramatic intensification of聽Israel's ground offensive," said UNWRA spokesman聽Chris Gunness.