Gaza toll reaches 100 as militants join war

JERUSALEM, Friday
Israel’s bombardment of Gaza claimed its 100th Palestinian life on Friday as Hamas pounded central Israel with rockets, and Washington offered help brokering a truce.
As the battle between Israel and Hamas militants entered its fourth day, diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities gathered pace.
Overnight, US President Barack Obama phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express concerns and to offer his help in resolving the crisis.
“The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement,” the White House said, referring to a truce which ended the last major confrontation between Israel and Hamas.
But Egypt, which has played a key role in mediating previous ceasefire agreements, said its efforts were falling on deaf ears.“Egypt has communicated with all sides to halt violence against civilians and called on them to continue with the truce agreement signed in November 2012,” the foreign ministry said.
“Unfortunately, these efforts... have met with stubbornness.”
Neither of the warring sides appeared to have any interest in backing down.
After weeks of rising rocket fire on its south, Israel lost patience and was bent on dealing a fatal blow to Hamas, with Netanyahu reportedly saying talk of a ceasefire was “not even on the agenda”.
And Ismail Haniya, Gaza’s former prime minister and the most senior Hamas official in the enclave, also ruled out any end to hostilities.
“(Israel) is the one that started this aggression and it must stop, because we are (simply) defending ourselves,” he said.
Meanwhile, a rocket fired from Lebanon struck northern Israel early Friday, causing troops to hit back with artillery fire over the border, the Israeli army said.
The rocket hit an open area near Metula at Israel’s northernmost tip without causing casualties or damage, the army said. Israeli army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner said artillery units had fired a barrage at “suspicious positions.” sighted over the border. (AFP)
A military spokeswoman told AFP that Israel had filed a complaint to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, which monitors the border between Lebanon and Israel.

Undermining stability
UNIFIL issued a statement condemning the incident and said it had stepped up its presence in its area of operations in southern Lebanon, in coordination with the Lebanese military.
“This is a serious incident in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 and is clearly directed at undermining stability in the area,” said UNIFIL chief Major-General Serra.
UN Security Council resolution 1701 was passed in 2006, at the end of a 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah that killed some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
The resolution demands a full cessation of hostilities between armed groups in Lebanon and the Jewish state.
Israeli public radio said two Katyusha rockets slammed into an area north of Kiryat Shmona, near Metula, one of which struck a road which was deserted at the time.
Military officials told the radio they believed the attack was carried out by a small Palestinian group in an act of solidarity with militants from Gaza’s Islamist Hamas movement who are engaged in a major confrontation with the Israeli army which began on Tuesday.
They said it was unlikely the rockets were fired by the Shiite Hezbollah movement, which controls southern Lebanon, as it did not want pick a fight with Israel at this stage.
The Lebanese army said in a statement that three rockets were launched towards Israel by “an unknown group” from the Marjayun-Hasbaya area of southern Lebanon.