Israel presses operation in north Gaza

GAZA CITY:

Fighting and bombardment shook Gaza’s biggest city on Thursday, an AFP correspondent said, even after Israel’s military declared an end to its operation in an eastern district that saw Gaza City’s heaviest combat in months.

The upsurge in fighting, bombardment and displacement came as talks were held in the Gulf emirate of Qatar towards a truce and hostage release deal after more than nine months of war.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded Thursday that Israel retain control of key Gaza territory along the border with Egypt -- a condition that conflicts with Hamas’s position that Israel must withdraw from all Gaza territory after a ceasefire.