Late night update
Hello MEE readers,
As the third day of Israeli air strikes on Gaza concluded with the Palestinian death toll reaching 29 people, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said its offensive would continue for as long as necessary.
Several leaders of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the second-largest armed group operating in Gaza, have been killed in the Israeli bombardment. And Gaza's Joint Operations Room, the umbrella body of armed factions in Gaza that includes PIJ, said that it would continue to respond to the attacks.
Hundreds of rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel, with at least one Israeli citizen having been killed.
"We will not retreat and the assassinations will only make us stronger. Our revenge continues," Islamic Jihad said in a communique.
The US State Department commenting on the escalation said the casualties are “tragic and heartbreaking”.
Washington called on both sides “to take prudent steps to ensure the loss of civilian life is prevented and that steps are taken to ensure that violence is reduced”. But in its message, the US referenced the Israeli government and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, of which neither Hamas nor Palestinian Islamic Jihad fall under.
And despite early reports of a potential ceasefire and international calls to end the fighting, the Egyptian foreign minister said on Thursday that the current prospects for a negotiated peace are wary and circumspect.
"Egypt's efforts to calm things down and resume the political process have not yet borne fruit," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters.
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