Al-Qaeda No. 2: Gaza Raid Is 'Gift From Obama'

(NEWSER) - Israel continues to press its assault and Hamas continues to fire its rockets, but a sliver of hope emerged tonight toward an end to the Gaza hostilities, MSNBC reports. Representatives from Israel, Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority will meet—probably separately—with Egyptian officials in Cairo tomorrow to discuss a possible truce. Twelve days of fighting have left 688 Palestinians and 10 Israelis dead. More»

(NEWSER) - Israel and Hamas are considering a new truce proposal floated by Egypt and France, Reuters reports. Few details emerged, but the US supports the plan, as does Europe. The development comes on the deadliest day yet of the conflict, after an Israeli missile struck a UN school and killed at least 42. In the meantime, Israel has offered to halt shelling in certain areas for limited times so residents can receive supplies, the BBC notes. More»

Israel keeps schools closed as citizens huddle in bomb shelters

(NEWSER) - Gaza and Israel continued to exchange rocket attacks for air strikes this weekend, leaving 18 Palestinians dead, four Israelis wounded, and world leaders weighing in on the latest round of Middle East violence, the Guardian reports. On the Israeli side, schools were kept closed and thousands of civilians spent hours huddled in bomb shelters. In Palestine, an air strike on a refugee camp left a 12-year-old boy among the dead. Another 26 Palestinians were reported hurt, five seriously. More»

Government strikes deal with Hamas for Gilad Shalit

(NEWSER) - After more than five years as a captive of Palestinian militants, soldier Gilad Shalit will be home within days, the Israeli government says. Shalit, now 25, was 19 when he was captured during a cross-border raid in 2006, and his captivity has long been an emotional issue in Israel. To secure his release, the Israeli government has promised Hamas that it will free 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, close to a fifth of all Palestinians held by Israel, the BBC reports. More»

Egypt brokers deal to stop escalating violence

(AP) - Gaza militants agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to stop spiking violence, a Hamas official said today, after a deadly attack across the Egyptian border on Israeli vehicles set off a three-day round of rapidly escalating Israeli airstrikes and rocket barrages from Gaza. The sudden flareup also threatened Israel-Egypt relations, after three Egyptian police were killed as the cross-border clash developed Thursday. Egypt complained strongly as thousands demonstrated in Cairo, and Israel apologized. More»