Mughrabi and Ali SawaftaJERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -An Israeli strike hit Palestinians near a medical centre in Gaza on Thursday, killing 16 including children and wounding more people, local health authorities said,

As Israel and Hamas move closer to a ceasefire agreement, Israel says it wants to maintain troops in a southern corridor of the Gaza Strip — a condition that could derail the talks. An Israeli official said an outstanding issue in the negotiations was Israel's desire to keep forces in the territory during a 60-day truce,

Ceasefire seen as possible by Israel FM despite negotiation challenges. Israel is serious about wanting to reach a deal to end the 21 months of bitter fighting, says Gideon Saar