Clinton heads to Middle East

Download

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to the Middle East on Tuesday with a message that escalation of the week-long conflict was in no one's interest as the UN chief called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Nevertheless, Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket fire continued for a seventh day.

Egypt was trying to broker a truce between Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas movement. An Egyptian intelligence source said, "There is still no breakthrough, and Egypt is working to find middle ground."

Israel's military on Tuesday targeted about 100 sites in Gaza, including ammunition stores and the Gaza headquarters of the National Islamic Bank. Gaza's Hamas-run Health Ministry said six Palestinians were killed.

Israeli police said more than 60 rockets were fired from Gaza by midday, and 25 of the projectiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system. The military said an officer was wounded.

Some 115 Palestinians have died in a week of fighting, most of them civilians, including 27 children, hospital officials said. Three Israelis died last week when a rocket from Gaza struck their house.

In Cairo, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate cease-fire and said an Israeli ground operation in Gaza would be a "dangerous escalation" that must be avoided.

He held talks in Cairo with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby and Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil before traveling to Israel for discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ban planned to return to Egypt on Wednesday to see Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi.

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday dispatched Clinton to the Middle East for urgent talks with Israeli, Palestinian and Egyptian leaders in his most decisive move yet to try to halt the crisis.

Clinton left the East Asia Summit in Cambodia's capital and headed for Israel to meet Netanyahu.

Questions:

1. Who is the US Secretary of State?

2. The Israeli military targeted how many sites in Gaza on Tuesday?

3. How many rockets were intercepted on Tuesday by Israel’s Iron Dome system?

Answers:

1. Hillary Clinton.

2. 100.

3. 25.

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

CJ Henderson is a foreign expert for China Daily's online culture department. CJ is a graduate of the University of Sydney where she completed a Bachelors degree in Media and Communications, Government and International Relations, and American Studies. CJ has four years of experience working across media platforms, including work for 21st Century Newspapers in Beijing, and a variety of media in Australia and the US.