It’s gone midnight in London, 02:00 in the morning in Gaza and Israel, and 03:00 in Turkey – where America’s top diplomat has arrived for talks.
This follows Antony Blinken’s visit to the West Bank and Iraq on Sunday during a diplomatic dash of the region. He’s been discussing efforts to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading and continues to push for a pause in the fighting.
The BBC’s Anthony Zurcher points out he is trying to find a middle ground where none currently exists. The Israeli PM has rejected the idea of a humanitarian pause for now, while Israel’s Arab neighbour’s have been calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Turkey’s relations with Israel have become increasingly frayed as the death toll in the conflict mounts.
Meanwhile, Israel says its forces have cut Gaza in two after its ground offensive against Hamas reached the Mediterranean coast in the Palestinian territory. A military spokesman said Gaza City was now completely encircled.
There have been airstrikes and huge explosions in the north of the enclave – the most intense since the war began, the BBC’s reporter in the Gaza Strips tells us. Phone and internet services have again been cut.
The UN – which is housing many of the 1.5 million displaced Gazans – says 48 of its sites across the Gaza Strip have been damaged since the war broke out.
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