Israel launches fresh strikes on Gaza while saying it's ready for new truce talks

Israel on Thursday (May 23) launched fresh deadly strikes on the Gaza Strip while saying it was ready for new truce talks inwar against terrorist organisation Hamas. Citing the Gaza Strip'scivil defence agency, the news agency AFP reportedtwo pre-dawn air strikes had killed 26 people, including 15 children, inGaza City.

A civil defence agency spokesperson told AFP that one Israeli strikehit a family house, killing 16people,in the Al-Daraj area, and another killed10people inside a mosque compound.

Fierce fightingwas also seeninJabalia andRafahwhere the armed wings of Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad said they had fired mortar barrages at Israeli troops.

International pressure for ceasefire mounting

International pressure for a ceasefire in the Gaza Striphas been mounting on Israel as the previous rounds of truce talks failed to produce any positive results. Earlier this week, theInternational Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor soughtarrest warrants on war crimes charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence MinisterYoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders.

Also,Ireland, Norway and Spain said they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28 and urged other European states to follow their lead. The three countriesrecognised a Palestinian state with its borders tobedemarcatedas they were prior to 1967, with Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine.

However, they also recognised that those borders may change in any eventual talks to reach a final settlement.

Israel hit back at the arrest warrants,voicing "disgust" over the ICC request and labelling any recognition of Palestinian statehood a "reward for terrorism".

Senior foreign ministry official Jacob Blitstein told the envoys of Ireland, Norway and Spain on Thursday that there will be "serious consequences" for their relations with Israel after they recognise the state of Palestine.

ICJ to rule on South Africa's Gaza ceasefire bid today

Meanwhile, on Friday,the International Court of Justice(ICJ) will rule on a requestby South Africa to order Israel to implement a ceasefire in theGazaStrip. South Africa has petitioned the ICJ for emergency measures to order Israel to cease its military operations in Gazaincludingin Rafah, where it is pressing an offensive.

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Therulings of the ICJ, which judges ondisputes between states, are binding, but it has no power to enforce them.

However, a rulingagainst Israel would increase international legal pressure.

(With inputs from agencies)