Gaza summit runs into snag

Dubai: Israeli forces pushed closer to the heart of Gaza City on Tuesday even as Israel's top general said "there is still work ahead" against Hamas.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia said they supported discussing the Gaza crisis at a Kuwait summit set for January 19 and rejected Qatar's proposal for an extraordinary Arab summit this weekend.

As the Palestinian death toll rose to 952, including 400 women and children, Israeli aircraft attacked 60 targets. The UN child rights watchdog yesterday expressed deep concern at the "devastating impact" of the conflict in Gaza on children, saying there was blatant disregard for their livelihoods.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child said in a statement that the pledges 193 states have made to protect the lives and development of children "have been blatantly violated during this crisis".

In Cairo, efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas hit a snag yesterday, with Hamas saying it had "substantial observations" to make on an initiative proposed by Egypt.

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouq told Al Jazeera television any ceasefire proposal must address the group's demands for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a complete opening of border crossings.

With inputs from agencies