Death, destruction in Gaza continue as Israel defies truce call

Israeli fighter jets continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding several more as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied calls for a de-escalation.

At least 230 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed in 11 days of violence. On the Israeli side, 12 people have been killed.

Netanyahu has pushed back against calls from the US to wind down the Gaza offensive, appearing determined to inflict maximum damage on Hamas in a war that could help save his political career. Still, officials close to the negotiations say they expect a truce to be announced in the next 24 hours.  In another possible sign of progress, Netanyahu scheduled a meeting later Thursday with his Security Cabinet, where the issue of a cease-fire was likely to be debated.

Explosions shook Gaza City and orange flares lit up the pre-dawn sky, with bombing raids also reported in the central town of Deir al-Balah and the southern town of Khan Younis.  As the sun rose, residents surveyed the rubble from at least five family homes destroyed in Khan Younis.

With inputs from Al Jazeera

Norway Wealth Fund drops firms linked to West Bank settlements

Norway’s $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund excluded Shapir Engineering and Industry and Mivne Real Estate KD for their activities associated with Israeli settlements on the West Bank.

The firms were excluded based on advice from the Council on Ethics “due to unacceptable risk that the companies contribute to systematic violations of individu­als’ rights in situations or war or conflict,” the fund. Bloomberg