Special report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts

Palestinians gather around the crater caused by an Israeli airstrike which hit the house of top Hamas official Said Siam's brother in Gaza City, Jan. 15, 2009. Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam, the head of its security apparatus, Salah Abu Shreh, and the head of its military wing, Mahmoud Watfah were killed in the airstrike. Siam's brother and son were also killed in the attack, with more than 30 wounded, medical sources added.(Xinhua/Mahmud Nassar)  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)  Photo Gallery>>>

    by Husam Hamdan, Hua Chunyu

    RAMALLAH, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- As officials from different countries voiced "progress" in reaching a truce in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military offensive on the ground witnessed a day of escalation on Thursday.

    Palestinian security sources in Gaza told Xinhua via phone on Thursday that, "Israeli army's attack against Gaza city today is the harshest one since the ground invasion started some two weeks ago."

    The Israeli army pushed deeper into the over populated Gaza City Thursday morning. In the evening, Israel assassinated the de-facto Hamas government's Interior Minister Said Siam, who is also the head of Islamist militant group's security apparatus, together with two other seniors Hamas officials.

    Observers believed that, the escalation of the Israeli offensive after Hamas has soften its stance on an Egyptian brokered ceasefire deal is aimed at putting more pressure on the leaders of the Islamic group to accept the truce.

    Two hours before Siam's assassination, Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said that the coming few hours will be decisive for the talks on a ceasefire to end the Gaza warfare.

    But until now, the only perceptible progress in the Egyptian brokered talks on Gaza truce is the statement made by Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil on Wednesday in Cairo, where he said Hamas has presented a detailed vision to Egyptian mediators on the ceasefire, adding that "We have no difference with Egyptian leadership (on a ceasefire)."

    Following Hamas' vague statement on the ceasefire, expectations among Palestinians on a clear declaration of accepting the ceasefire deal from the Islamic group are rising. Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has expressed upset about Hamas' "hesitation" on accepting the Egyptian initiative.

    Palestinian Interim Government Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called on all the Palestinian factions "to accept the Egyptians initiative, so as to avoid additional Palestinian casualties".

    Palestinian analysts said, although Hamas leaders are under pressure from within the Palestinian public, the Egyptian mediators, and Israel military push, but they haven't given in, the Islamic group is still seeking chances to avoid loosing its authority in Gaza.

    According to Hamas sources, the Islamic movement's conditions about the ceasefire initiative focus on three points: immediate halt of Israeli aggressions, withdrawal of Israeli army from Gaza, opening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and ensure the terminal to be open at all the time.

    Ayman Taha, a Hamas official, said on Thursday that Hamas views an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as the first step, "after which we will begin our efforts toward having the Palestinian unity." Taha refused to go into details on the negotiation process, but insisted that "we're seeking the interest of our people."

    According to Palestinian officials from Fatah, Hamas wants a joint control of the Rafah crossing by both Hamas and Fatah forces, a stance could not be accepted by Fatah leaders, which insist that the PNA must be the sole authority not only at Rafah but also everywhere in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

    Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator said Thursday that, "we will not allow the PNA to be divided into one in Gaza, the other in the West Bank."

    Meanwhile, Hamas' rival Fatah movement revealed that it had try to contact Hamas to convince the latter to accept the Egyptian initiative, but Hamas refused.

    The head of Fatah faction in the Palestinian Legislative Council, Azzam Al-Ahmad told Xinhua that he phoned the deputy leader of Hamas Musa Abu Marzooq and asked him to agree the Egyptian initiative, so as to stop Israel from killing more Palestinians in Gaza, "but they refused to accept what we asked for."

    He added that, "Hamas is now seeking to continue their authority in Gaza and doesn't care about those who were killed every day."  

UN General Assembly convenes urgent special session on Gaza

    UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The UN General Assembly (GA) on Thursday kicked off an emergency session to press for an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza despite Israel's efforts to seek the cancellation of the session.

    The session was convened as the Gaza conflict entered its 20th day and left more than 1,000 Palestinians killed. Full story

Spokesman: U.S. "deeply concerned" about Gaza crisis

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Thursday reiterated its grave concerns over the worsening situation in Gaza where the fierce fighting between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has been raging for 20 days. Full story

Iranian president: Raid on Gaza shows Israel's "aggressive nature"

    TEHRAN, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Israel's raid on the Gaza Strip shows its "aggressive nature."

    Israel's outrage is still going on which is antihuman and antipeace, Ahmadinejad told reporters in a press conference. Full story

Israeli official arrives in Egypt for ceasefire talks

    CAIRO, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Israeli official arrived here on Thursday for talks with Egyptian mediators on a ceasefire in the warring Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.

    Amos Gilad, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau, arrived here on Thursday morning, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.   Full story

Gaza death toll exceeds 1,000, Hamas accepts ceasefire deal

Smoke rises following Israeli military operations in Gaza City, Jan. 14, 2009. Israel continued military attacks on Gaza City Wednesday, leaving more than 33 Palestinians dead and about 80 others wounded. (Xinhua/Nassar) Photo Gallery>>>

    GAZA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- A senior Gaza medical official said on Wednesday that 1,010 Palestinians were killed and 4,600 others wounded since Israel launched air and ground offensive on Gaza Strip.

    Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that so far 1,010 Palestinians were killed, and 4,600 others wounded, adding that around half of them are civilians.  Full story