Signs of progress, but no quick end seen to fighting

GAZA, Gaza Strip — There were signs of progress in ceasefire talks Wednesday, but prospects for a quick end to the fighting between Hamas and Israel were dim as Palestinians fled southern Gaza and the death toll hit 729. In other developments:

❚ Israeli troops backed by tanks and drones clashed with Hamas fighters on the outskirts of Khan Younis, killing at least eight militants. ❚ Israel and the U.S. back a ceasefire proposal offered by Egypt, which would be followed by talks on a possible new border arrangement for Gaza. Israel insists it must curb the military capabilities of Hamas, while Hamas has demanded the lifting of a crippling blockade.

❚ Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird accused the UN’s human rights council of singling out Israel in a resolution on the Gaza conflict. The body voted Wednesday to authorize an international commission of inquiry to investigate all alleged abuses since mid-June in the Gaza Strip. Baird accused the council of ignoring Hamas’s terrorist acts.

❚ Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal dismissed Israel’s assertion that it tries to avoid civilian casualties but Hamas puts them in danger by hiding weapons and fighters in civilian areas. Meshaal also said he was ready to accept a humanitarian truce in Gaza, but would not agree to a full ceasefire until the terms had been negotiated, the Reuters news agency reported.

❚ UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon said he is “alarmed” to hear that rockets found in a UN-run school in Gaza “have gone missing,” and he demanded a full review of such incidents.

❚ NDP leader Tom Mulcair expressed alarm about civilian deaths in Gaza, while also declaring that Israel has the right to defend itself. The carefully written statement demonstrates the challenges Mulcair faces as he attempts to resolve a long-standing internal debate within the party over Israel.