>> hello, and welcome to the news hour, the world's top news stories. trying to reach a ceasefire in gaza. meanwhile, the israeli offensive there is in full force. 800 palestinians have been killed so far. the recovery of bodies from a plane crash in mali won't be easy. and the fighting in east

ukraine. the u.n. said a quarter of a million people have been forced from their homes. the push for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in gaza has taken on a new urgency. u.n. and the u.s. the israel and hamas to stop the bloodshed that has now lasted 18 days. 834 palestinians and 37 israelis have been killed. ban ki-moon and john kerry have been meeting in cairo, and a news conference with them has been delayed. the holidays next week, marking the end of ramadan. and kerry has been pushing regional leaders to halt. a proposal, and now medical and food aid have entered gaza.

thousands of palestinians have better than forced to leave their homes because of the israeli bombardment. meanwhile, at least five palestinians have been killed in the west bank in the protest against the fighting in gaza. two were killed overnight, and 10,000 people marched through west bank. now live from west jerusalem, james, a delay in hearing anything out of cairo from ban ki-moon and john kerry, really underscores the difficulty in reaching any ceasefire proposal. >> we're picking up bits of information from all side, but

it's clear that this is still evolving, and there are in many ways a deadline because ban ki-moon and john kerry said they were leaving friday afternoon from cairo to the u.s.. ban ki-moon to the u.n. in new york, and john kerry to the state department in washington. i think they delayed their plans because there's still this diplomatic activity going on. in three places, where they are with the prime minister. and the turkish prime minister has flown in there to join the prime minister and they are speaking to hamas and talking back to ban ki-moon and john kerry in cairo. also speaking to where i am in jerusalem, where the israeli security cabinet is meeting for almost two hours. we know the basis of this proposal, but i think it has been fine tuned all the time, as each side says what they think and what they object to.

i think they're still trying to get a deal, but it's going to be very close. >> and of course what we have seen coming out in reports, with the final proposal, it's interesting still to look at the points that are being discussed. what have you been hearing there? >> stage one, a ceasefire, and as soon as you have a ceasefire in place, very intense negotiations with the underlying issues. because israel has demands, and hamas has demands. they want the ability to fire rockets into israel. and they want the siege on gaza lifted. what i've heard of and certainly that's what's being discussed at the moment, is the idea that the israeli military should be able to stay on the ground during the

ceasefire period while the negotiations take place, and we're told they will be able to destroy some of the tunnels in the ceasefire period. i'm sure that there are objections from the hamas side to that, and that's why they're continuing to talk. but as i said, john kerry and ban ki-moon said this ends on friday afternoon. and friday afternoon is running out. >> yes, indeed it is. thank you for the update there from west jerusalem. let's go straight live to gaza, where our correspondent, nicole johnson joins us from there. nicole, tell us about the situation on the ground with the fighting that's continuing, even as the diplomacy goes on behind its doors. >> that's right, and while some days are a little bit lighter or slightly quiet, that hasn't been the case today. we have had israel airstrikes all over the gaza strip. more than 30 houses have been hit. we had one hit in rufa and two

killed there. the owner of the house was a senior member of the islamic, and a family's house was hit overnight and they received no warning at all. one woman was killed, she was pregnant. and so it has been a very difficult day in gaza. there's intense shelling going on all along the eastern flank of gaza. we saw it ourselves as we drove down the main road, the thorougho fair in north gaza. also, we can hear the intense shelling. they're pounding the empty land areas and beaches of gaza as well. and here's more in a report from my colleague. >> we rushed to the attack moments after it happened.

terrified people lining the streets. ambulances close by. in gaza city. >> interpreter: at about half past 7:00, we heard the airstrikes nearby. and we all jumped. a house was completely destroyed. and then we moved to another house, and that was destroyed. and now this. what do they want? we aren't ready to die. >> a family member carries one of the children to safety. adults rush to hide with neighbors. the house behind me was hit by an israeli airstrike this morning. apparently there were two shots fired before the strike, and there were 40 people in the house. there were a number of injured, but no one was killed. some of the families sit terrified in a nearby house, having survived three attacks already, they refuse to speak on camera. the neighbors look at the damage, and there's a sudden sound of a fighter jet

approaching. fear is etched on their faces because there's nowhere safe to hide. charles stratford, aljazeera, gaza. >> even though people in gaza are just trying to survive each day and get food and supplies for their families, they're also keeping a close eye on the diplomatic move. it seems to be getting closer perhaps to some sort of ceasefire. the people in gaza don't want a ceasefire, a long-term one, that is without any conditions. they want a ceasefire that removes the siege that allows them to travel through egypt and the rest of the world. and they are being very clear, as is hamas, that they don't want to return to the status quo, where they are unable to leave. so they're watching what's happening on the diplomatic front, hoping for some kind of relief. a five-day ceasefire would allow them the chance to get out, to

get supplies, and try to enjoy the religious period. but so far, there's no news, and they're trying to survive every day, as hard as that is. >> live from gaza. well five palestinians have been killed in clashes in the occupied west bank on friday. three in hebron and two in natlus. more deaths, and who are the palestinians clashing with? >> what i can tell you is that in the town of havara, just south of natalas, a group killed 1, an 18-year-old, and what we understand is that the security forces arrived soon after.

they're also clashing with israel forces and that resulted in three dead. a intense situation in many parts of the occupied west bank, and i was at one of the largest protests that this area has seen since the 18 day of gaza has begun. thousands of people showed up to express their rage in gaza and to the occupation. here's our report. >> reporter: the violence was expected but no one predicted the scale of it. this is the largest protest that the occupied west bank has seen in years. for hours, protesters clashed with israeli forces outside of the checkpoint. they threw stones, fireworks and molotov cocktails.

the retaliation, the israeli military forces fired teargas canister and oner bullets. despite being well equipped, they made protesters even more determined. >> reporter: the people are taking to the streets, they are angry and they want the end of israeli aggression. at one point, fire erupted. both sides claimed that the other shot first. a bullet clearly visible in the windshield of a satellite truck, parked less than a meter from where we were broadcasting. among the dead, dozens were also injured in the clashes. but protesters said they were unafraid. >> for 15 days, the people of gaza have been killed. from the very first day to end this aggression. >> we are here for our people in

gaza. today is the new day in the occupied territory and it's aggression toward gaza. >> violence also erupted in bethlehem, and these images in occupied east jerusalem. israeli protesters in and around the old city, including a holy site revered by both muslims and jews. the police arrested around 20 people. since israel's latest offensive in gaza began, many asked why people living in the occupied west bank have been relatively silent about the suffering. on thursday evening, they spokanely against it, and many are expected to bring larger protests. >> thousands and thousands of people are out on the streets on thursday, we have not heard the numbers so far today. might we see more people coming

out later? >> that's right, there were cads for a large protest after friday prayers, and it did not materialize. having said that, there have been protests here in various neighbors, and crowds of 200 to 300 people in nablus and hebron, thousands of people, are they taking to the streets this evening, it's difficult to say at this stage, but most of the protests generally take place after the sun goes down, so we could be looking at a very unpredictable evening here in the occupied west bank. >> we'll keep a close eye on it indeed. >> in israel, people have been forced to run for cover after several rockets were fired from gaza. this was the scene in tel aviv

as people ran for cover. three civilians have been killed in israel by rocket and mortar attacks from gaza since the offensive began on july 8th. tel aviv's largest airport was evacuated with rockets pointed in its direction, and they were reportedly intercepted by israel's air defense system. prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, must stay the course, but there of been a few descenting voices. >> the problems will stay forever, and i don't see a solution to the situation unless we can come to some sort of negotiation with the people. and that probably will take a long, long time. we all are standing with what we're doing right now, we should finish what we started. i think we're ignoring and arrogance toward the palestinians. we have to understand that it's

impossible. >> we cannot halt around 1 million people under siege. >> meanwhile, the shiite group, hezbollah, has condemned thing on going israeli offensive. >> i know that they can't end the palestinian people, but we're facing a long-term policy, aimed at annihilating the palestinian people. that's what we're witnessing now. their plan is to end the palestinian cause. >> in beirut, where it was a long speech. and what else did nasrallah say? >> he did not finish it, and praised what he called the palestinian resistance in gaza. as far as he's concerned, he said it has already won. that the palestinians in the goesa strip have already won, because israel has already failed in achieving anything in gaza, despite it's very very

fierce offensive on the strip and on its people. now, what hezbollah has to say, something that palestinians and israelis are very queen and listening to, he is someone who has promised support and a lot of solidarity with people in gaza, and they want to know what kind of support is he talking about? now, hezbollah has played a crucial role in developing the military capabilities both for hamas and jihad. and he didn't say, you know, we helped them, in the credit goes to us, he gave the credit to the palestinian people and hamas and other groups, but again, where many are concerned, if the confrontation in gaza develops further, will hezbollah stand by in syria, or will he open another front to try to alleviate the pressure on the

people in gaza? many feel that he cannot do that since many of his men are in the conflict in syria, so he cannot afford it. if you hear people who are close to hezbollah, they say if they need to do that, they are capable of doing that. we're still waiting to hear exactly from him, what is he going to do to support the people in gaza? his relationship, the group's relationship with hamas has seen very tense times in the last three years over the conflict in syria, but the cooperation between hezbollah and the military winning of hamas and jihad has never stopped. and that's something that is a known secret here. so we have to wait and see until the end of the speech on what is he exactly going to say? >> why do we hear from him now after an unusually long silence? >> well, we have to remember that hezbollah -- the leader of

the political hamas has not spoken for three years, and they have not met. three days ago, the leader of hamas called him up and expressed support. and many saw it as a turning point in the relationship between hezbollah and hamas, and some see it as a reason for the israelis that if hezbollah can use the alliance, that should be a worry for the israelis, because it means strength for both sides. hezbollah and iran are very keen on maintaining their sides with hamas. on one hand, they have this influence inside of the israeli conflict, which gives them power, and on the other hand, they feel that any confrontation between israel and the islamic world takes away the momentum. any conflict between hezbollah and iran is not something that they are keen on, and they think that the best way to distract from that is the conflict

between israel and palestinians. and that's where their efforts should be, not with them fighting. >> thank you very much from beirut. we have been seeing demonstrations across the world in support of the palestinians. on the islamic month of ramadan. this was the feeling in the iranian capital of tehran. the abses in gaza and the occupation of east jerusalem. and in the german capital, hundreds of palestinian demonstrators held a candlelight vigil in support of the people of gaza. a giant palestinian flag. still to come on this, aljazeera news hour. one of the world's oldest

surviving christian communities. iraq christians protest against their treatment at the hands of the islamic state group. and plus, stay home, that's the message of a guatemala an campaign stopping children from trying to escape poverty. >> >> the human cost, pro russian separatists and government forces has forced 230,000 people to flee their homes. more than half have crossed into russia. and we have more from eastern ukraine, where the government is trying to retake the state of donetsk. >> we are on the front line with the ukraine an army, and the pro

government forces here. showing you our opposition because the ukrainians are showing us that they don't want to fill the positions here. with the attack on the city of donetsk. but on the other side of the front line where we are, they said that they will defend the city until the last man. this has had a humanitarian impact. 230,000 people have already left their homes, and it's expected to be a lot higher. in donetsk alone, the population is 1 million. and half of the population has left the area. where they're going to mainly is the west, to kiev. and some have spoken to me saying that they're going to crimea and even russia. people intending to go stay with friends and family, but the issue they have as the fighting escalates and gets worse, on the border region of russia, it's unclear when they will be able

to return home. >> in australia, they're sending police officers to the site near donetsk where mh17 crashed searching for the last remains of the passengers and crew. >> small teams of dutch investigators have been in the area today. but they have an enormous job. it's something like 25 square kilometers. now, the australian and dutch governments have talked about bringing in soldiers so a proper secure forensic investigation can begin, but that's not going to be easy. we're in the middle of a war zone. we have heard artillery in the distance this afternoon, and though those australian and dutch governments may have reached an agreement with authorities in kiev, it doesn't run here, which is very much punned the control of separatist

gunmen. >> and the remains of 74 more from the downed airliner have arrived in the netherlands. from the ukrainian city, two planes, one dutch and the other from australia. they have an identification process before the families can reclaim their loved ones. >> reporter: the dutch government have confirmed that they are sending a task force to the ukraine. the so-called royal marshals, a special police force who usually are train in heavy weapons, their job of course is to protect the royal family. but they will be leaving from i hoeven military base this evening for chapter one of the operation, there to help the dutch-led investigators to comb through a 13-square mail area where the wreckage and the bodies landed, to find the

dismembered remains of the passengers still missing. chapter two is not just to recover the bodies, but to help the investigation to collect all of those fragments, to find out exactly what happened. and if the missile parts are in the huge area. that will end pointing the finger of blame. that will decide where the blame lies. >> the russian border officials say that 40 mortar shells have been fired into their territory. earlier, the united nations accused russia of firing across the boarder into ukraine, and the state department said that moscow is providing active military support to separatist fighters. >> we have new evidence that the russians are delivering heavier and more powerful rocket

launchers to ukraine, and that russia is firing artillery to attack ukrainian military positions. >> joining us live from moscow, whawhat are we hearing from thee in the tit for tat blame game? >> like you said, the russians have accused the ukrainians of launching between 30 and 40 projectiles and rockets, the number and the type depends on which of the sources you read here, have accused ukraine of sending those over the border into russia. and they said that nobody was hurt in the attack, but they have accused ukraine of similar things. over the last few weeks where russia assists that people have died. so there's a at this point in time for tant accusation war going on at the moment, where each side is is saying that it's

innocent of acts of war from the other side. but it says that it's being grievously harmed. so ukraine is insisting that russia is launching ground rockets and downing planes from within russian territory. and russia is accusing ukraine of similar things. now, the ukraine has insisted that the only way of really damping this down, or of calming the situation, and stopping what is essentially a civil war, becoming a much more significant and wider across border conflict is to have that border properly monitored. and it wants the osce, the european security body to come in and send it's monitors down to the border. the whole length of this border stretches 600 kilometers, and trying to make sure that every part of it is properly monitored. and only then can the ukrainians stop this from happening. >> we also know they are being

displaced by the fighting in ukraine, and many of them are fleeing over the russian border into russia. are they being welcomed? where are they going? >> well, the russians say that the number of people who come across the border from ukraine since the fighting started, is way in excess of the united nations. the russians say that half a million people have come across already. about 27,000 of those, according to ross cow, are being looked after in temporary accommodations, so a small number are being looked after in the camps, and the rest with friends and family and other parts of russia. yes, they're being looked after, and they took me and a number of other journalists down to the border regions a couple of weeks ago to have a look at the camps and what i saw, at least what the foreign ministry was showing to us, were very well run camps,

not particularly well populated. there weren't that many refugees there, but what they're trying to portray and to show to the world, the russian government, is that there is brotherhood amongst these people, displaced ukrainians, and what they're saying is a punitive campaign against the russians and the ukraine citizens, and russia is looking after those and absorbing the damage that the ukrainian government is unleashing. >> reporting from moscow, thank you very much, roy. plenty more still ahead on the aljazeera news hour, including an appeal with the egyptian court against a seasonnier jail term for doing his job. plus, chinese children, an

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