Renewed violence over Gaza despite ceasefire moves gaining speed

GAZA: Diplomatic moves towards a ceasefire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict gathered pace on Thursday after US President Joe Biden called for a de-escalation, but Israel threatened to step up strikes on Gaza as Hamas rocket fire resumed after a pause.

After a senior Hamas official predicted a truce within days, an Egyptian security source - whose country has been mediating between the sides - said they had agreed in principle to a mutual halt in hostilities but details needed to be worked out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scheduled a 7 pm (1600 GMT) meeting of his security cabinet to discuss options.

Rocket attacks on Israel stopped for eight hours on Thursday - the 11th day of hostilities - before resuming.

Israel continued air strikes in Gaza.

Since the fighting began on May 10, health officials in Gaza say 232 Palestinians, including 65 children and 39 women, have been killed and more than 1,900 wounded in aerial bombardments.

Biden on Wednesday urged Netanyahu to seek "de-escalation" and a Hamas political official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said he believed a ceasefire would be reached "within a day or two".

In the Gaza City suburb of Sabra, Amira Esleem, 14, and three family members were wounded in one Israeli attack, which she said caused parts of their house to collapse.

"We were sitting on the sofa when a missile landed. There was heavy smoke and we couldn't see anything," she said from her hospital bed.

Nearly 450 buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or badly damaged, including six hospitals and nine health centres, the United Nations humanitarian agency has said. More than 52,000 people have fled their homes in Gaza.

Washington and several Middle East governments have sought an end to the violence through diplomacy.