Gaza death toll climbs as airlines shun Israel

Fighting in Gaza continued to rage yesterday — displacing thousands more Palestinians in the battered territory even as US Secretary of State John Kerry said indirect truce talks between Israel and Hamas had made some progress.

While pressing a 15-day-old offensive, Israel scrambled to contain economic damage from a halt of flights to Tel Aviv’s main airport by US and European airlines spooked by the long-range rocket salvoes of Hamas and other Gaza Strip guerrillas.

Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal called for a temporary truce to allow humanitarian relief into Gaza, but said his group would keep fighting against an Israeli offensive and would not agree to a more lasting ceasefire without full negotiation of terms.