16 January,2009 10:57 AM IST | | Agencies
A top Israeli envoy delivered his country's stance on a cease-fire agreement in Gaza to Egyptian mediators trying to seal a truce on Thursday. But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said the fighting showed Israel's continued existence in the region is "not feasible."
The development came as the U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pressed Israel on a cease-fire, and Gulf leaders gathered in Saudi Arabia to discuss the conflict.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops pushed deeper into densely populated Gaza City on the 20th day of the offensive to rout out Hamas militants. Israeli tanks shelled the crowded downtown, sending terrified residents fleeing for cover.
An Israeli airstrike Thursday evening killed prominent Hamas figure Said Siam, and witnesses and U.N. officials said Israeli shells struck the United Nations headquarters building that serves as a shelter for hundreds of people, setting it ablaze.
The Israeli push ratcheted up pressure on Hamas to accept a proposed cease-fire. Egypt's proposal has centered on a temporary 10-day halt in fighting that would leave Israeli troops in place in Gaza while security arrangements are negotiated for border crossings to prevent weapons smuggling. Once that is done, Israeli troops would withdraw and the borders would be opened.
