US filibustering

US blocking UN statement on Gaza: Russia

Press TV,

19 November, 2012

Russia has accused the United States of trying to "filibuster" a UN Security Council statement on the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

Obama talks to Morsi, Netanyahu on Israel-Gaza truce

Press TV,

19 November, 2012

US President Barack Obama has held a telephone conversation with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to explore the possibility of reaching a truce in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

UN chief arrives in Cairo for Gaza ceasefire talks

Press TV,

20 November, 2012

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Cairo to hold talks about the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where the death toll in the Israeli onslaught has hit 109

US dispatches 3 warships to occupied Palestine to evacuate citizens

Press TV,

20 November, 2012

The United States has dispatched three warships to occupied Palestine to evacuate US citizens caught up in the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Israel accuses Iran

Al-Jazeera blog – 14.45 GMT approx

Shimon Peres, the Israeli president, has accused Iran of encouraging the Palestinians to continue rocket attacks on Israel rather than negotiating a ceasefire, saying "they are out of their mind".

At the same time, Peres praised Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi for the constructive role he has played in the intensifying crisis.

"The unpleasant one is the Iranians. They are trying again to encourage the Hamas to continue the shooting, the bombing, they trying to send them arms," Peres said in a televised interview. "They are out of their mind."

Peres said Israel had no choice but to wage its offensive against Hamas in Gaza despite the rising civilian casualties, citing what he said were 1,200 missiles fired from the territory in the past six days.

"In one minute, if they stop shooting, there won't be any casualties," he said.

In singling out Iran, Peres said, "We are not going to make a war with Iran. But we are trying to prevent the shipping of long range missiles which Iran is sending to Hamas."

"But Iran is a problem, world problem, not only from the point of view of building a nuclear danger, but also from the point of being a centre of world terror.

"They finance, they train, they send arms, they urge, no responsibility, no moral consideration," Peres said.

Asked whether a ground war in Gaza was inevitable, Peres said he was hopeful that there would be a ceasefire.

"The negotiations are still being continued. It's difficult for all parties, but it's not over and the best choice for all of us is to stop shooting," he said.