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Diplomacy acquiring momentum even as battles continue

DUBAI: Israeli ground troops and Hamas fighters continue to battle amid a flurry of diplomatic activity aimed at bringing about a durable ceasefire in Gaza.

A virtual media blackout by Israel has denied any fair assessment of the military situation, but Israeli media reports say its forces have moved along an axis that has split the Gaza Strip into two. The manoeuvre aims to isolate northern Gaza and deny any movement of supplies from the south, especially into Gaza city. Fighting has also been heavy along Gaza’s northern fringes. Besides, attacks have been launched in the south to block tunnels which have been used to ferry supplies into Gaza from Egypt.

Israeli military said one of its soldiers had been killed and 55 wounded in the fighting so far. Four of the injured were in a critical condition.

A wave of protests in Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Indonesia and Morocco demanding an end to the Israeli attack is beginning to have some political impact. In Jordan, Prime Minister Nader Dahabi has said his country may review its diplomatic ties with Israel in the wake of the Gaza offensive. “Jordan will look into all options, including reconsidering relations with Israel,” he told law makers on Sunday.

Jordan and Egypt are the only two Arab countries that have normalised their relations with Israel.

Turkey has been outspoken in its criticism of Israel following the Gaza strikes. Speaking to reporters after returning from a visit to West Asian capitals, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Israel was perpetrating “inhumane actions” which would “lead to its destruction.”

“Allah will sooner or later punish those who transgress the rights of innocents,” he said. Mr. Erdogan visited Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to explore the possibilities of a Gaza ceasefire. As a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, Turkey has said it would convey Hamas’ conditions for a ceasefire to the U.N. body.

After 10 days of fighting, there was a surge in diplomatic activity on Monday. Hamas announced that it would participate in talks on a possible ceasefire in Cairo. These talks will coincide with the presence of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the region.

Hamas has been insisting that a ceasefire is possible only if Israel lifts its siege on Gaza by opening all border-crossing points. Israel says it wants all rocket attacks on its territory from Gaza to end permanently.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen with the prolongation of the conflict. The death toll in Gaza was 530 on Monday. Among the victims were three Palestinian children and their mother who were killed when a tank shell hit their home in Gaza city.

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