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    October 30, 2011

Israel, Militants Continue Attacks for Second Day

   Egypt's attempt to broker cease-fire falls short

   VOA News
   Palestinians wheel into the al-Najar hospital an injured Palestinian
   militant of Islamic Jihad following an Israeli air strike in the
   southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, October 29, 2011.
   Photo: AFP
   Palestinians wheel into the al-Najar hospital an injured Palestinian
   militant of Islamic Jihad following an Israeli air strike in the
   southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, October 29, 2011.

   Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian militants continued to launch attacks
   against each other Sunday, following deadly attacks that began Saturday
   with an Israeli air raid on Palestinian militants.
   Egypt's attempt to broker a cease-fire between the two factions has so
   far failed to bring a halt to the flare-up of violence. Several rockets
   were fired into southern Israel early Sunday, while Israeli aircraft
   targeted militant sites in the Gaza Strip overnight.
   The Palestinian militants said Sunday they are ready to adhere to a
   cease-fire agreement, if Israel agrees to it.
   Israeli air raids on Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza Saturday killed nine
   people. Islamic Jihad said a commander of the Palestinian militant
   group was among those killed. Retaliatory rocket fire by Palestinian
   militants killed an Israeli civilian and wounded at least two others.
   The Israeli military said its air strikes Saturday hit militants
   responsible for firing rockets into Israel Wednesday. That rocket
   attack caused no casualties.
   Israel demanded international intervention to stop the Palestinian
   attacks. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Saturday
   "Israel seeks no confrontation with the Palestinians and does not want
   to escalate the current situation, but it will not tolerate shelling
   after shelling without a response."
   The United Nations called for restraint. U.N. Middle East envoy Robert
   Serry said "it was vital to de-escalate now, without delay."
   <p><span class="article11"><i><span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height:
   115%; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;&quot;;">Some
   information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and
   Reuters.</span></i></span></p>
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   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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