http://news.yahoo.com/gaza-shakes-israe ... 06371.htmlGAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli air strikes shook the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rockets struck across the border as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held talks in Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday, seeking a truce that can hold back Israel's ground troops.
Egypt's new Islamist government is mediating talks and had floated hopes for a ceasefire by late Tuesday between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist movement controlling Gaza. However, by the time Clinton met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it was clear there would be more argument, and more violence, first.
Hamas leaders in Cairo accused the Jewish state of failing to respond to proposals and said an announcement on holding fire would not come before daylight on Wednesday. Israel Radio quoted an Israeli official saying a truce was held up due to "a last-minute delay in the understandings between Hamas and Israel."
An initial halt to attacks may, however, not see the sides stand their forces down from battle stations immediately. Clinton, who flies to Cairo to see Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi later on Wednesday, spoke of a deal "in the days ahead."
I was very skeptical of all the reports of a deal having been reached and a ceasefire being imminent for two reasons....
First, none of these reports seemed to ever quote any authoritative agreement from the Israelis...Only pronouncements from Morsi and Hamas asserting that an agreement had been reached, which many in the press then reported as though these claims represented an established fact....
Second, the almost comical disconnect between the media claims and the real time unfolding events on the ground....
At one point yesterday, I saw a headline on Yahoo News that read "Momentum For Ceasefire Grows" while at the exact same time CNN was showing live footage of rockets being fired from, and bombs being dropped in, Gaza City....(This was a number of hours after the time Hamas had set for ending the rocket attacks)
