Special report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts 

    BUENOS AIRES, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Argentina on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where Israeli raids have killed over 950 Palestinians and injured 5,000, many of them civilians.

    Argentine Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana made the call in a meeting here with the Palestinian ambassador to Argentina, Farid Suwwan.

    "Argentina reaffirms one more time the call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as has been demanded by the United Nations (UN)," Taiana said.

    "The international community must insist on the fulfillment of Resolution 1860 of the UN Security Council, which is about finding a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," Taiana said.

    Taiana met with Suwwan to discuss Argentina's shipping of humanitarian aid to Palestinian victims of the Israeli attacks, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said.

    The aid will include blankets, medicine, milk powder, staple food and health goods.

    The Argentine envoy to the United Nations, Jorge Arguello, also called for a ceasefire in Gaza last week.

    Both Hamas and Israel have defied last week's UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, with Tuesday marking the 18th day of the bloody clashes.

    Israel, which has suffered 13 deaths, says its offensive against Gaza is in retaliation against rocket attacks by Hamas militants.         

Israeli troops battle in SW Gaza City as death toll rise to 930

Palestinians inspect their houses destroyed by Israeli strikes in Gaza City on Jan. 13, 2009. Israeli soldiers fought heavy battles with local militants in Gaza early Tuesday. Medics said Monday that over 900 people have been killed and more than 4,100 others wounded since Israeli military operation on Dec. 27, 2008. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar) Photo Gallery>>>

     GAZA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israeli troops tried to push deeper into Gaza City on Tuesday, with the army focused on the south-western Gaza City neighborhood of Tel Al-Hawwah overnight Monday, according to Palestinian Ma'an News Agency.

     Ma'an said that most of the fatalities since Tuesday morning are from clashes in the Zayton and Tel Al-Hawwah neighborhoods. Full story

Israel urged to allow Palestinians leave with Filipino families

     MANILA, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government is asking Israel's permission to allow 20 Palestinians to join their Filipino wives and children in Manila's evacuation operation in war-torn Gaza Strip, an official said on Tuesday.

     Esteban Conejos, Undersecretary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs for Migrant Workers Affairs, said the Filipinas have declined to take part in the evacuation because they refuse to leave their spouses behind. Full story