Israel has continued the Gaza assault despite claiming it’s in “fundamental agreement” with an Egyptian and French ceasefire proposal. The plan calls for an end to the fighting, followed by talks on lifting the economic blockade of Gaza and securing its borders. Israeli officials are expected to travel to Egypt today.

European Union policy chief Javier Solana: “The initiative of President Mubarak, we welcome it and we support it. We were working with him last night and had been well received by Prime Minister Olmert, by leaders of the region, and I hope very much that that will be the stone upon which we can construct a ceasefire that I hope will be coming very soon.”