Israel continues to press Gaza offensive

By Nathan Morley

It’s been a day of heavy combat in Gaza. On the ground, Israel’s defense minister said his forces had entered populated areas of Gaza City, where witnesses reported heavy gunfire and fierce ground fighting.

Hamas said an Israeli airstrike hit a refugee camp late on Saturday, killing at least 30 people. Israel has said it is investigating the reports.

Israel began bombing Gaza after Hamas killed more than 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapped more than 200 others.

The UN now says nearly 1.5 million citizens of Gaza are now displaced, with nearly 50 percent of them sheltering in UN camps.

Calls for a ceasefire

Elsewhere, Arab foreign Ministers meeting in Jordan have told the visiting US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, that there must be an immediate ceasefire.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there can be no temporary ceasefire until all Israeli hostages are released

Mr. Blinken is heading to Turkey, as he continues his diplomatic push.

In other developments, thousands of Israelis joined a rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday organized by the families of some 240 hostages being held in Gaza.

At the same time, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the residence of Prime Minister Netanyahu demanding his resignation.