Hillary Clinton meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in effort to halt Israeli offensive

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Mideast from Cambodia
By this morning, civilians accounted for 54 of the 113 Palestinians killed since the operation began - including 225 children, Gaza health officials said
Three Israelis dead since Operation Pillar of Defence began last week
On Tuesday, 29 rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel - three managed to get through Iron Dome interception system
In Cairo, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire

PUBLISHED: 08:24 EST, 20 November 2012 | UPDATED: 04:48 EST, 21 November 2012

Hilary Clinton arrived in Jerusalem Tuesday evening in an effort to end the week-old convulsion of violence that has gripped the volatile region, pressing on with efforts to wring an elusive deal from Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers to halt the latest violence tearing the region apart.

On Wednesday morning, Clinton will head to the West Bank. Speaking alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Secretary of State promised to work with Israel 'toward an outcome that bolsters security for the people of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza, and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region.'

Clinton has indicated it could take some time to iron out an agreement after more than a week of bitter fighting.

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While it is understood a Thursday deadline has been set for the Egypt-brokered talks, a! n Egyptian intelligence source had previously said 'there is still no breakthrough and Egypt is working to find middle ground.'

Meeting: Yesterday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, left, at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not seen) deliver joint statements in Jerusalem this evening

No easy solution: he Secretary of State has indicated it could take some time to iron out an agreement after more than a week of fighting

End goal: Clinton, left, said Tuesday during the joint statement that she would work with Israel to find a seemingly elusive resolution to the conflict

It was a violent night along the Gaza Strip, as Israeli aircraft pounded the region with at least 30 strikes overnight, hitting government ministries, smuggling tunnels, a banker's empty villa and a Hamas-linked media office located two floors above the office of the French news agency, Agence France-Presse.

I grabbed my cameras and left the office with the fixer and there was smoke in the hallwaysWe ran out of the building, one AFP photographer told Al Jazeera.

The website reports that the Israeli military has attacked some 1,450 targets since the fight began almost a week ago.

Israel launched a Gaza air offensive a week ago to counter the threat of cross-border guerrilla rockets and has massed troops and tanks in a threat to escalate to a ground war.

'If there is a possibility of achieving a long-term solution to this problem with diplomatic means, we prefer that,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said alongside Clinton, who will travel to Cairo on Wednesday.

'But if not, I'm sure you understand that Israel will have to take whatever action is necessary to defend its people.'

Egypt has been trying to broker a truce in the conflict and this morning it was reported that Israel has put plans for a ground operation in Gaza 'on hold' while talks to secure a truce with Hamas militants continue.

Violent: Fire rises during an explosion following an Israeli strike on the border tunnels between Egypt and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip Tuesday night

Explosion: Smoke rises from a building moments after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, early Wednesday as Israel and the Hamas militant group edged closer to a cease-fire

Assessment: Palestinians inspect the damage on a building moments after an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, early Wednesday

Speaking to reporters in the Nile Delta city of Zagazig, Mr Morsi did not provide any evidence to support his prediction only saying negotiations between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers will yield 'positive results.'

While it is understood a Thursday deadline has been set for the Egypt-brokered talks, an Egyptian intelligence source had previously said 'there is still no breakthrough and Egypt is working to find middle ground.'

This development arrived as explosions terrorise both Palestinians and Israelis for a seventh day running as Israel put plans for a ground operation in Gaza 'on hold' while talks to secure a truce with Hamas militants continued.

While it is understood a Thursday deadline has been set for the Egypt-brokered talks, an Egyptian intelligence source said 'there is still no breakthrough and Eg! ypt is wo! rking to find middle ground.'

Smoke rises following an Israeli attack east of Gaza City, seen from Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip today

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (left) meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) in Jerusalem, Israel, today

A general view of a Hamas destroyed security site is seen after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City

From Egypt, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he came to the region because of the 'alarming situation.'

'This must stop, immediate steps are needed to avoid further escalation, including a ground operation,' Ban said. 'Both sides must hold fire immediately ... Further escalation of the situation could put the entire region at risk.'

A deputy White House national security adviser said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would depart for the Mideast on Tuesday from Cambodia, where she had accompanied Obama on a visit to Southeast Asia.

The official said Clinton would begin by meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, then she would meet with senior officials of the Palestinian government in the West Bank before headi! ng to Cai! ro to meet with Egyptian leaders.

The U.S. considers Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide and other attacks, to be a terror group and does not meet with its officials.

The Obama administration blames Hamas for the latest eruption of violence and says Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time, it has warned against a ground invasion, saying it could send casualties spiraling.

The conflict erupted last week, when a resurgence in rocket fire from Gaza provoked Israel to strike back, killing Hamas' military chief in an air attack and carrying out hundreds of assaults on militants' underground rocket launchers and weapons stores.

AT A DEADLOCK: WHAT DO ISRAEL AND HAMAS WANT?

Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers have staked tough, hard-to-bridge positions, and the gaps fuel the threat of an Israeli ground invasion.
The content of the Egyptian plan is unknown, but both Israel and Hamas have presented conditions and Egyptian intelligence officials are meeting representatives from Israel and Hamas separately.
Israel - concentrating on arms and weaponry demands
Israel demands an end to rocket fire from Gaza and a halt to weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt.
It also wants international guarantees that Hamas will not rearm or use Egypt's Sinai region, which abuts both Gaza and southern Israel, to attack Israelis.
Hamas - wants attacks halted and restrictions lifted
Hamas wants Israel to halt all attacks on Gaza and lift tight restrictions on trade and movement in and out of the territory that have been in place since Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007.
Israel has rejected such demands in the past.

The onslaught abruptly turned deadlier over the weekend as aircraft were ordered to go after Hamas military commanders and buildings suspected of housing their commands and weapons caches.

In the narrow alleys and warren! s of crow! ded Gaza, where militants often operate from residential areas, civilian casualties mounted.

By Tuesday, civilians accounted for 54 of the 113 Palestinians killed since Operation Pillar of Defence began last Wednesday.

Some 840 people have been wounded, including 225 children, Gaza health officials said.

Today Israel's military targeted about 100 sites in Gaza, including ammunition stores and the Gaza headquarters of the National Islamic Bank.

Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said six Palestinians were killed.

Israeli police said more than 60 rockets were fired from Gaza by mid-day, and 25 of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system.

Their military said an officer was wounded.

Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers have staked tough, hard-to-bridge positions, and the gaps keep fueling the threat of an Israeli ground invasion.

The content of the Egyptian peace plan is unknown, but both Israel and Hamas have presented conditions and Egyptian intelligence officials are meeting representives from Israel and Hamas separately.

Israel demands an end to rocket fire from Gaza and a halt to weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt.

It also wants international guarantees that Hamas will not rearm or use Egypt's Sinai region, which abuts both Gaza and southern Israel, to attack Israelis.

A Palestinian boy sits on stretcher at al-Shifa hospital after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City

Two Palestinian boy look at the remains of their destroyed homes after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip t! oday

Two Palestinian boy look at the remains of their destroyed homes after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip today

Palestinian children stand in the rubble left after an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City today

Efforts to end a week-old convulsion of Israeli-Palestinian violence drew in the world's top diplomats on today, with President Barack Obama dispatching his secretary of state to the region on an emergency mission

Hamas wants Israel to halt all attacks on Gaza and lift tight restrictions on trade and movement in and out of the territory that have been in place since Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007.

Israel has rejected such demands in the past.

Early Tuesday, Israeli aircraft targeted another Hamas symbol of power, battering the headquarters of the bank senior Hamas officials set up to sidestep international sanctions on the militant group's rule.

After Hamas violently overran Gaza in June 2007, foreign lenders stopped doing business with the militant-led Gaza government, afraid of running afoul of internatio! nal terro! r financing laws.

The inside of the bank, which was set up by leading Hamas members and describes itself as a private enterprise, was destroyed.

Owner Suleiman Tawil, 31, grimly surveyed the damage to his store and six company cars. 'I'm not involved in politics,' he said. 'I'm a businessman. But the more the Israelis pressure us, the more we will support Hamas.'

Fuad Hijazi and two of his toddler sons were killed Monday evening when missiles struck their one-story shack in northern Gaza, leaving a crater about two to three meters (seven to 10 feet) deep in the densely populated neighborhood. Residents said the father was not a militant.

Grief: Palestinians mourners cry during the funeral of Salem Paul Sweliem. According to the family, the 52 years old Greek Orthodox Christian carpenter was killed during a strike on a high-rise building, in which Ramez Harb, a senior figure in Islamic Jihad's military wing, was killed

Israeli women take cover in a stairwell as a siren signal the warning of incoming rockets in the coastal city of Ashkelon

Palestinian youth

Israeli women take cover in a stairwell as a siren signal the warning of incoming rockets in the coastal city of Ashkelon while a Palestinian youth picks up rocks during clashes with Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint, in the Israeli occupied West Bank

Visit: Egypt's Islamist Freedom and Justice Party leader Saad al-Katatni visits the injured in Gaza

Israeli soldiers stand on top of their tanks at an Israeli army deployment area near the Israel-Gaza Strip border on November 20, 2012, as talks aimed at securing a deal between the Jewish state and Gaza's Islamist Hamas rulers continue

Israeli tanks are lined up in a deployment area on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on day seven since the launch of operation 'Pillar of Defence.'

Israeli soldiers prepare weapons and vehicles in a deployment area as the conflict between Palestine and Gaza enters its seventh day on November 20, 2012 on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip

On Tuesday morning, the boys' bodies lay next to each other on a rack in the local morgue, wrapped tightly in white burial shrouds. Their father lay in a rack bel! ow.

'We want to tell the world which is supporting the state of Israel, what this state is doing,' said neighbor Rushdie Nasser.

'They are supporting a state that kills children ... We want to send a message to the U.N. and the West: Enough of supporting the Zionists, who are killing children.'

Three Israeli civilians have also been killed and dozens wounded since the fighting began last week, the numbers possibly kept down by a rocket-defense system that Israel developed with U.S. funding.

More than 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel this week, the military said, including three that struck schools that had been emptied because of the fighting.

Palestinian firefighters try to extinguish a blaze in branch of the Islamic National Bank after a airstrike by Israel this morning

Palestinian children stand in the rubble left after an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City

Palestinian children stand in the rubble left after an Israeli strike on a house in Gaza City as firefighters try to extinguish a blaze in a branch of the Islamic National Bank

Smoke trails are seen after ordnances were fired by Palestinian militants from Gaza towards southern Israel, east of Bureij Refugee Camp, central Gaza Strip today