A bus bombing in Tel Aviv Wednesday afternoon, which left at least 20 Israelis wounded, was likely to throw a wrench into feverish efforts to construct a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Clinton has returned to Jerusalem for another round of meetings with Israeli leaders as she tries to wring an elusive truce deal, but it was unclear how Wednesday's bus bombing would affect developments. Israel on Wednesday also said it has information that Iran is pressing Islamic Jihad not to accept any cease-fire and continue firing rockets at Israel, a senior diplomatic source told Israel Radio. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Wednesday that Iran bears "heavy responsibility" in conflicts in the Middle East, especially in Gaza, AFP reported. Speaking specifically of Gaza, Fabius said, "There are long-range weapons up to 75 kilometers [47 miles] and these are Iranian weapons. Iran bears a heavy responsibility. One finds Iran in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq, in Gaza and each time with very negative intentions," he told France Culture radio. "The orientation of the Iranian government is extremely dangerous for world peace," he added. Clinton was back in Jerusalem after holding talks in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. She'll be meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in her attempts to help piece together a deal that would satisfy the two foes after eight days of fighting. Clinton is due to travel later to Cairo, which is mediating in the crisis. Israeli tanks and gunboats pummeled targets in Gaza in what appeared to be a last-minute burst of fire, while at least 200 rockets were fired into Israel. As talks dragged on near midnight, Israeli and Hamas officials, communicating through Egyptian mediators, expressed hope that a deal would soon be reached, but cautioned that it was far from certain. "If there is a possibility of achieving a long-term solution to this problem by diplomatic means, we prefer that. But if not, then I am sure you will understand that Israel will have to take whatever actions are necessary to defend its people," Netanyahu said at a late-night meeting with Clinton. Clinton was hastily dispatched to the region by U.S. President Barack Obama to join a high-profile group of world leaders working to halt the violence. Standing alongside the Israeli leader, the U.S. secretary of state indicated it could take some time to iron out an agreement. "In the days ahead, the United States will work with our partners here in Israel and across the region toward an outcome that bolsters security for the people of Israel, improves conditions for the people of Gaza and moves toward a comprehensive peace for all people of the region," she said. Clinton expressed sorrow for the heavy loss of life on both sides, but called for the Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel to end and stressed that the American commitment to Israel's security is "rock solid." "The goal must be a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike," she said. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Clinton met with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for two hours. "They discussed efforts to de-escalate the situation and bring about a sustainable outcome that protects Israel's security and improves the lives of civilians in Gaza," Nuland said. "They also consulted on her impending stops in Ramallah and Cairo, including Egyptian efforts to advance de-escalation." Israel launched the offensive on Nov. 14 in a bid to end months of rocket attacks out of the Hamas-controlled territory, which lies on Israel's southern flank. After assassinating Hamas' military chief Ahmed Jabari, it has carried out a blistering campaign of airstrikes, targeting rocket launchers, storage sites and wanted terrorists. With Israel massing thousands of ground troops on the Gaza border, diplomats have raced throughout the region in search of a formula to halt the fighting. In a meeting with Netanyahu, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the rocket attacks, but urged Israel to show "maximum restraint." "Further escalation benefits no one," he said. Netanyahu replied that no army in the world takes as many precautions to prevent civilian deaths as the IDF does. Ban met with President Shimon Peres on Tuesday at the President's Residence. "There is no room for comparison [between Israel and Hamas], their target is civilians, ours is to defend them," Peres told the U.N. secretary-general. Israel demands an end to rocket fire from Gaza and a halt to weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt. It also wants international guarantees that Hamas will not rearm or use Egypt's Sinai region, which abuts both Gaza and southern Israel, to attack Israelis. Hamas wants Israel to halt all attacks on Gaza and lift tight restrictions on trade and movement in and out of the territory that have been in place since Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007. Israel has refused to forgo their ability to prevent a "ticking time bomb," or imminent terrorist attack, with military action. Egypt's new Islamist government is expected to play a key role in maintaining a deal and the crisis has thrust President Mohammed Morsi into the spotlight as he plays a difficult balancing act. Morsi belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas' parent movement, and clearly sympathizes with the Islamist group. At the same time, he relies heavily on U.S. aid and is trying to preserve a historic peace agreement with Israel. Earlier, Morsi raised hopes that a cease-fire was near when he predicted the negotiations would yield "positive results" during the coming hours. Netanyahu also said his country would be a "willing partner" in a cease-fire agreement. "We have one arm outstretched for peace, while the other tenaciously holds David's sword against those who wish to drive us out of this land," Netanyahu said on Tuesday at a ceremony commemorating David Ben-Gurion in Sde Boker. But as the talks stretched into the evening, it became clear that a deal remained a ways off. "Most likely the deal will be struck tomorrow. Israel has not responded to some demands, which delayed the deal," Hamas official Izzat Risheq said. Hamas officials refused to discuss the remaining sticking points. Israeli media quoted Barak as telling a closed meeting that Israel wanted a 24-hour test period of no rocket fire to see if Hamas could enforce a truce. Palestinian officials briefed on the negotiations said Hamas wanted assurances of a comprehensive deal that included new border arrangements and were resisting Israeli proposals for a phased agreement. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. More than 1,400 rockets have been fired at Israel, including about 200 on Tuesday. An airstrike late Tuesday killed two journalists who work for the Hamas TV station, Al-Aqsa, according to a statement from the channel. A third journalist, from Al-Quds Educational Radio, a private station, was also killed. The Al-Aqsa TV cameramen were in a car hit by an airstrike, Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said. Israel claims that many Hamas journalists are involved in terrorist activities. Earlier this week, it targeted the station's offices, saying they served as a Hamas communications post. Late Tuesday, a Palestinian rocket hit a house in the central Israeli city of Rishon Lezion, wounding two people and badly damaging the top two floors of the building, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Minutes before Ban's arrival in Jerusalem from Egypt, Palestinians fired a rocket toward Jerusalem, just the second time it has targeted the city. The rocket fell in an open area southeast of the city. Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets on several Gaza neighborhoods asking residents to evacuate and head toward the center of Gaza City along specific roads. The army "is not targeting any of you, and doesn't want to harm you or your families," the leaflets said. Palestinian terrorists urged residents to ignore the warnings, calling them "psychological warfare." Israeli security officials acknowledge they rely on a network of Palestinian informants to identify targets. Masked gunmen publicly shot dead six suspected collaborators with Israel in a large Gaza City intersection Tuesday, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter saw a mob surrounding five of the bloodied corpses shortly after the killing, and one of the bodies was dragged through the streets by a motorcycle. Hamas did not provide any evidence against the alleged collaborators. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and a delegation of Arab League foreign ministers traveled to Gaza on a separate truce mission. "Turkey is standing by you," Davutoğlu told Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. "Our demand is clear. Israel should end its aggression immediately and lift the inhumane blockade imposed on Gaza." Jordanian King Abdullah II spoke with Netanyahu by telephone on Tuesday and asked that Israel avoid a ground offensive in Gaza. Jordan is home to the largest Palestinian population outside the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Forum of Nine senior ministers to discuss the ceasefire, as well as hear updates about the bombing in Tel Aviv.
The two sides had reportedly edged closer to a cease-fire deal on Tuesday but after a day of furious diplomatic efforts involving U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Egyptian President Mohammed Mosri, a deal remained elusive and fighting raged on both sides of the border.
