Israel-Gaza: Netanyahu says operation against Hamas will continue - BBC News
Health officials in Gaza say 188 Palestinians have died since Monday, while Israel reports 10 dead.
Is Israel’s military operation in Gaza, dubbed “Guardian of the Walls”, nearing its conclusion? Not obviously. Benjamin Netanyahu says attacks are continuing with “full force” and will “take time”.

In a news conference this afternoon, Israel’s prime minister admitted there were “pressures” but thanked US President Joe Biden, in particular, for his support.

Mr Netanyahu has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire with Hamas Image caption: Mr Netanyahu has so far resisted calls for a ceasefire with Hamas

Mr Biden’s envoy, Hady Amr, has been in Israel since Friday, discussing the crisis with Israeli officials. Unusually, at the end of a week that has also seen an alarming spate of inter-communal violence in mixed Jewish-Arab cities, he also met Israeli-Arab leaders.

Since the US, like Israel and many other countries, regards Hamas as a terrorist organisation, Mr Amr will not be meeting one of the two warring parties. Any messages for Hamas will have to go through traditional interlocutors, like Egypt or Qatar.

Local reports suggest Hamas has been offering some kind of ceasefire for several days, only to be rebuffed by Israel, which clearly wants to inflict as much damage as it can on the militants before the fighting is finally brought to a close.

These episodes follow a familiar pattern: Israel presses home its undoubted military advantage until the international outcry over civilian casualties, and a deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, demand that the operation end.

In Israel’s estimation, we have not yet reached that point.