An Egyptian delegation - sent to Israel in an attempt to broker an immediate ceasefire in Gaza - left late Thursday after Israel rejected Cairo's mediation efforts for the ceasefire, as escalations mounted in the strip. Sources told Al-Arabiya TV that the Egyptian delegation left Tel Aviv, late on Thursday, in objection over an expanded Israeli military operation. The same delegation had met with Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip first then crossed into Israel by land, as according to Reuters. Cairo has decided to respond to Israel's rejection of the ceasefire by suspending several issues with Tel Aviv, the sources said, adding that they have warned Israel of the continuation of operations and the rejection of the ceasefire. The sources said that the Egyptian delegation has proposed to Israel a one-year truce that is to be monitored and coordinated by Cairo. They also said that they have asked Israel to bring an end to settlement moratorium as well as an end to the backing of extremist raids at Al-Aqsa Mosque. The delegation has also urged to put an end to assassination operations against leaders in Gaza, affirming the ability to require Palestinian factions to commit to the proposed truce. Some 119 people were killed in Gaza, with an injury toll climbing up to 830 after Israel stepped up fighting on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said. The death toll in Israel stood at eight, Israeli authorities said, as according to Reuters. The hostilities entered their fifth day with no signs of receding, with Israel firing Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday in response to rocket attacks from the strip controlled by Hamas on Israeli towns. The fighting which began on Monday, has been deemed the most serious since 2014 after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in retaliation for hostilities by Israeli police against Palestinian protesters near Al-Aqsa Mosque.
