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Pressure mounts to end bloody Israel-Gaza conflict
An Israeli soldier stands near tanks in a deployment area on November 19, 2012 on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip. / Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images
Updated 9:49 p.m. ET
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers traded fire and tough cease-fire proposals Monday, and threatened to escalate their border conflict if diplomacy fails. No deal appeared near.
An Israeli airstrike targeting a Gaza media center killed a senior militant and engulfed the building in flames, while Gaza fighters fired 95 rockets at Israel, nearly one-third of them intercepted by an Israeli missile shield. One missile hit an empty school.
Israel investigating Gaza bombing with civilian casualties
A total of 38 Palestinians were killed Monday, bringing the death toll since the start of Israel's offensive to 111, including 56 civilians. Some 840 people have been wounded, including 225 children, Gaza heath officials said. Three Israeli civilians have been killed and dozens have been wounded.
Over the weekend, civilian casualties in Gaza rose sharply after Israel began targeting the homes of what it said were suspected militants. Two such strikes late Monday killed five people - a father and his 4-year-old twin sons in northern Gaza and two people in the south, medics said.
Jamal Daloo, who lost his wife, a son, four grandchildren and five other members of his family in an attack Sunday, sat in quiet mourning Monday next to the ruins of his home, his face streaked with tears.
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"The international public opinion witnessed the facts," he said, speaking as his 16-year-old daughter, Yara, was still missing under the rubble being cleared away by bulldozers. "This does not require my words."
Israel, Palestinians in deadly clashes
Hamas rockets hit 2 Israeli schools
Pressure mounts for truce in Gaza
Israel accuses Hamas militants of hiding near civilians, which Hamas denies. But CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports the Islamic jihad admitted one of their militants was hiding among journalists when he was killed by an Israeli air strike over the Gaza media center Monday. Launch pads are being discovered near mosques and schools, and CBS News crews saw a rocket launch just two blocks away from a residential area.
Egypt, the traditional mediator between Israel and the Arab world, was at the center of a flurry of diplomatic activity Monday. Egyptian intelligence officials met separately in Cairo with an Israeli envoy and with Khaled Mashaal, the top Hamas leader in exile. Until recently, he has only been allowed in Syria and Iran, CBS News correspondent Clarissa Ward reports.
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 demands an end to rocket fire from Gaza and a halt to weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt.
With positions far apart on a comprehensive deal, some close to the negotiations suggested Egypt is first seeking a halt to fighting before other conditions are discussed. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are in a sensitive stage.
Hamas leader: Rockets won't stop until demands are met
Mashaal told reporters that Israel's threat of invading Gaza was a bluff and Hamas would only agree to a cease-fire if its demands are met. "We don't accept Israeli conditions because it is the aggressor," he said. "We want a cease-fire along with meeting our demands."
When asked by Ward if Hamas wants to see a truce, he responded: "God-willing, the American people will wake up and realize that it is better to stand with 350 million Arabs than to continue to support Israel."
Mashaal eventually conceded that he did not want to see an escalation in hostilities, Ward reports, but was unclear on when he thought a truce would be reached. "Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps never," he told reporters.
Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to widen the offensive, saying an invasion is an option. Israel has amassed troops on the Gaza border and begun calling up thousands of reservists.
Still, an Israeli official emphasized that Israel hopes to find a diplomatic solution.
"We prefer the diplomatic solution if it's possible. If we see it's not going to bear fruit, we can escalate," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic efforts under way. He added that Israel wants international guarantees that Hamas will not rearm or use Egypt's Sinai region, which abuts Gaza, for militant activity.
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If Israel wants our technology, then Jews must pay us back very well.
Let me get this right. Please help me. The world wants Israel to back off and stop hurting these morons that started firing rockets into their country. These same morons wants a carte blanch to contine firing rockets into Israel until they submit to the peace treaty they want to dictate to Israel. And these same morons doesn't want to stop until they concede to their wishes. The entire muslim world is suppose to back them up or the rest of the entire world who are not muslim will suffer the same fate they want to inflict on Israel.
So Israel is the bad guy here. I thought I had it wrong. That big, mean, uncaring, baby killing machine called Israel. Well, as far as I can tell, Israel would love to see this nonsense stopped and be able to live in peace. It must be hell living every day wondering if your neighbor is going to lob a few dozen rockets over into your country. Then be expected not to do a thing about it. Look, you guys are living side by side. You have to learn to live together or someone is going to die. Right now, Israel has the firepower and the ability to end this conflict. Yet, they choose to continue to crush your stupid attempts at getting your way.
Be glad I am not in charge over in Israel. If it was up to me, I would just solve the problem for good. Wipe out that worthless piece of land and be done with it. At long last they would have peace and security they long desire for. You can have it too if you want it. Live in peace with your neighbor. Become friends. You'll find out it takes a lot less energy to get along than to hate one another.
Just imagine having rocket launchers, bunkers, ammunition dumps and weapons of mass destruction surrounding your homes- or Hamas militants firing from your bedroom windows, from schools, and mosques.