Air Algerie: Briton Among Plane Crash Victims

A British man was among those killed when an Air Algerie flight crashed in Africa, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

A statement from the FCO said: "It is with deep regret that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirms the death of a British man onboard Air Algerie flight AH5017.

"We are providing consular support to his family at this tragic time, and we ask that the media respect the privacy of those grieving."

A 10-year-old girl perished along with her entire family in the tragedy

The death of the Briton - who is understood to be named David Morgan - was announced as the first photos emerged of the crash site.

Flight AH5017 came down in southern Mali, killing 118 people, including 54 French nationals.

Debris from the plane can be seen scattered over an area of desert south of Gao.

Flight AH5017 had been heading to Algiers when it crashed in southern Mali

Burnt-out wreckage and parts of the fuselage can just be made out against the charred sand.

Meanwhile, a 10-year-old French girl is reported to have spoken of her fears before the flight.

The girl, called Chloe, perished in the tragedy along with her parents, Bruno Cailleret and Caroline Boisnard, as well as her elder brother and grandmother.

French President Francois Hollande said no one survived the crash

The loss of the entire family in the disaster has left the small town of Menet in central France "devastated", according to Denise Labbe of the town hall.

The five had been returning from a trip to Burkina Faso, where Ms Boisnard's uncle lived.

They had been due to land in the southern city of Marseille after flying via Algiers, which is where the doomed aircraft was heading.

The plane was owned by Spanish private airline Swiftair and operated by Air Algerie.

It vanished from radar over West Africa and no one survived the crash, French President Francois Hollande said.

Ms Labbe said: "Everyone is devastated in the town. We all know the family, who live in front of the town hall.

"No one can quite believe it. It's like having a bad dream."

Chloe had been excited about the trip to Burkina Faso, she said, adding: "She had confided in her teacher before leaving about her fear of taking the plane, which she was doing for the first time".

Ms Boisnard's brother had gone to meet them at the airport and became aware of the tragedy when the family failed to appear at the arrivals gate.

A family of 10, including four children, from the Rhone-Alpes region of France were also killed in the crash.

The number of people killed was increased from 116 to 118 after the final passenger manifest was released.

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US Says Putin 'Culpable' In MH17 Plane Crash

The White House has said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "culpable" in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine.

In his strongest comments yet since the plane was shot down - killing all 298 people aboard, White House spokesman Josh Earnest linked the crash to Russia, which the US has criticised for providing arms to Ukrainian separatists.

Mr Earnest told reporters: "What we also know is that the Malaysia Airlines jet was brought down by a missile that was fired from the ground.

"It was fired from the ground in an area that was controlled by separatists, and in an area where the Ukrainians themselves were not actually operating anti-aircraft weapons at that time.

"So that is why we have concluded that Vladimir Putin and the Russians are culpable to this tragedy."

Mr Earnest also confirmed reports that Russian troops are firing heavy artillery on Ukrainian military across the border, describing it as an escalation of the conflict.

The US has previously accused Russia of providing arms to Ukrainian pro-Russian separatists.

Russia, however, has called the latest US accusations of Moscow's involvement in the Ukrainian conflict a baseless "smear campaign".

The US has accused Russia of arming Ukrainian separatists

Meanwhile, European Union ambassadors have reached a preliminary deal on stepped-up sanctions against Russia, targeting its defence and technology sectors and its access to European capital.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said EU member states must decide whether the measures need to be approved by a summit meeting of the trade bloc's 28 member countries to go into effect.

The ambassadors also ordered asset freezes and travel bans against more Russians and pro-Russian Ukrainians accused of undermining Ukraine.

Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB, and Mikhail Fradkov, head of the foreign intelligence service, were among 15 Russians and Ukrainians, and 18 companies and other organisations named in the latest sanctions list published in the EU's Official Journal.

The Russian foreign ministry said the additional sanctions would hamper co-operation over international and regional security issues.

Also, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak will travel to the Netherlands on Wednesday to discuss the downed jet with his Dutch counterpart.

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Gaza: 12-Hour Ceasefire As Peace Talks Begin

A 12-hour "humanitarian" truce is under way in Gaza as world leaders hold peace talks in Paris to push for a permanent ceasefire.

Parts of Gaza came under heavy bombardment, with explosions and black smoke rising above Gaza City, minutes before the break in hostilities.

Israeli tank shelling killed 18 members of the same Palestinian family in the southern Gaza Strip, said Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al Qidra.

The Al Najar family had been trapped in their house in Khuzaa village, east of Khan Younis, for two days when the shells hit, he said.

A Palestinian woman stands outside destroyed homes in Shejaia, Gaza

Doctors in Gaza said 85 bodies have been pulled from rubble since the ceasefire started at 8am (6am UK time).

Israel has warned it will keep targeting tunnels and fight back if its troops or civilians are attacked during the brief respite from 18 days of violence.

The ceasefire, which appears to be holding, comes after Israel suggested it is preparing to "broaden" its ground assault on Gaza after reportedly rejecting an international plan for a week-long truce.

US Secretary of State John Kerry remains "confident progress can be made" on a seven-day truce that would "bring people together to create a more durable plan".

Smoke billows from Gaza City after Israeli airstrikes

However, on Friday evening Israel's defence minister told troops: "You need to be ready for the possibility that very soon we will instruct the military to significantly broaden the ground operation in Gaza."

Ahead of the truce, eight Palestinians were killed by an airstrike in Gaza and Israeli troops shot dead two teenagers in continuing West Bank protests in the early hours of Saturday morning.

In Gaza, two Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting on Friday evening, the army confirmed.

Mr Kerry is in Paris for talks with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and other counterparts from Europe, Turkey and Qatar on the escalating violence in Gaza.

A map showing the areas of conflict and violence

Earlier, he told a news conference in Cairo a "fundamental framework" for peace was in place and that it would "ultimately succeed".

"The world is watching tragic moment after tragic moment unfold and is wondering when everybody is going to come to their senses," said Mr Kerry.

An unnamed source from the Israeli government said they were seeking modifications as the truce proposal "leans too much towards Hamas demands".

Speaking alongside Mr Kerry, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said there had been "tireless efforts" to bring both sides to the table, and that the people of Gaza have "bled enough".

John Kerry speaks with Qatar's Foreign Minister about the truce

"They are trapped… living under constant fear of rocket attacks," he said. "Surely now, all parties must realise it's time to act."

Some 140,000 people have fled Gaza since the latest conflict began on July 8.

More than 980 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have lost their lives.

Three civilians have died in Israel from rocket fire, while 37 Israeli soldiers have been killed during combat.

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'No Survivors' On Air Algerie Flight AH5017

No one survived an Air Algerie flight which crashed in southern Mali, French President Francois Hollande has said.

The burnt-out wreckage of the plane carrying 116 people, including 51 French nationals, which vanished from radar in West Africa has been discovered south of Gao.

Mr Hollande said the jet's black box flight recorder had also been recovered by the French military and was being taken to the town.

"French soldiers who are on the ground have started the first investigations. Sadly there are no survivors," he said.

Families of the 116 people onboard wait for news

"The plane's debris is concentrated in a small area, but it is too early to draw conclusions."

He said bad weather was the likely cause of the crash, but added: "I'm not excluding any theory."

Burkina Faso's commander in chief, Gilbert Diendere, said a search team had gone from Burkina Faso to Mali to follow up on information they had received about the possible crash location.

He said: "This team has confirmed that it has seen the remains of the plane, totally burnt-out and scattered on the ground."

AH5017 left Ouagadougou airport at 1.17am local time. Pic: Sputniktilt

Minister of communications Alain Edouard Traore described the accident as the greatest tragedy in the country's air history.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who has declared two days of national mourning, is due to visit the crash site later.

The Air Algerie jet was travelling from Burkina Faso capital Ouagadougou to Algerian capital Algiers when it disappeared around 50 minutes into the flight, following a request from the pilot to change course due to poor weather.

The twin-engined MD-83 carries 168 people

Also on the jet were 27 Burkina Faso nationals, eight Lebanese, six Algerians, five Canadians, four Germans, two Luxembourg nationals, one Swiss, one Belgian, one Egyptian, one Ukrainian, one Nigerian, one Cameroonian and one Malian.

The six crew members were Spanish, according to the Spanish pilots' union.

Flight AH5017 was owned by Spanish private airline Swiftair and operated by Air Algerie.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 had been missing for hours before news of its disappearance was made public.

Ouagadougou is in almost a straight line south of Algiers, separated by Mali where unrest continues in the north of the country.

Airlines had been warned not to fly over Mali in recent days, Sky News understands.

However, a senior French official said it was unlikely that fighters in Mali could shoot down a plane.

They are known to have shoulder-fired weapons, which could not hit an aircraft travelling at a cruising altitude of some 33,000ft.

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Russia's Putin Clamps Down Amid MH17 Dissent

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

They're laying flowers outside the Dutch embassy in Moscow, and with them they're leaving notes.

Again and again you see the words: "Please forgive us." One says: "It's our fault".

There are people here who are genuinely concerned about the direction Russia is heading under Vladimir Putin, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to make their voices heard.

On the same day as he promised to do everything to help the MH17 investigation, the Russian president passed a new anti-protest law, increasing the penalty for repeat breaches to up to five years forced labour or imprisonment, or a one million ruble fine.

Some Russians have asked for 'forgiveness' over the MH17 disaster

Another law targeting "extremist language" makes retweeting information deemed "offensive" punishable by up to five years in jail. 

The vast majority of people here, more than 90%, get their information from TV news - and Russian media is increasingly subject to heavy state control.

Despite international outcry, Mr Putin has overwhelming support in Russia

For the last week it has been broadcasting a steady stream of "questions Kiev must answer" and Russia's theories about the Malaysian airliner crash.

"We are always right, I mean Putin, we trust him," one middle-aged woman told us, "and whatever America or Ukraine are trying to blame him for, they are not right."

Vladimir Putin has rarely been more popular in Russia.

The latest polls put his personal approval rating at 83% - up 29% from last year, boosted by his annexation of Crimea, which was a wildly popular move at home.

His presidency has coincided with a massive increase in the price of oil, and for many a tangible increase in their standard of living, especially when compared to the chaos and economic turmoil of the 90s.

The Russian president has cracked down on protests

But despite the fast cars, huge oil and gas revenues and the perception of wealth, Russia's economy is beginning to look increasingly fragile.

The IMF has estimated Russia's growth this year will slow to 0.2% and the value of the ruble has fallen.

Capital flight for the first seven months of this year has reached $75bn (£44bn) - one and a half times the cost of the Sochi Olympics.

Russian economist Alexander Orlov explained: "Previously the growth of wages, of real income, was positive, but now that the economy is slowing down to almost zero, there is no real growth in income, in wages, but inflation is still going up."

"And with the ruble depreciation, we could see much higher inflation going forward."

Mr Putin and his supporters are concerned by Nato influence in the region

Fifteen new names and 18 entities are to be added to the EU's sanctions list this week, while German officials have warned sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy could follow by the end of the month unless Russia acts quickly to defuse the crisis in eastern Ukraine.

Russia doesn't want more sanctions, but neither is it likely to reverse its mistrust of Petro Poroshenko's government in Kiev, or "the Kiev junta" as it is known in Moscow.

Russia fears that Ukraine, under its new pro-Europe government, will move towards the EU, and maybe one day NATO.

Mr Putin said himself this week: "No matter what our foreign colleagues are saying, we see what is really going on."

"The number of Nato troops on the territory of eastern European states is being demonstratively reinforced."

For all that Mr Putin knows he needs to be seen to be co-operating with the investigation into flight MH17, that doesn't mean he will abandon his long-term ambitions in Ukraine.

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'Day Of Rage' Amid Friday Prayers Lockdown

Israeli riot police have charged down skirmishes near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, as fears of more trouble in the area sparked a lockdown on Friday prayers.

Only men aged over-50 are being allowed into Al Aqsa mosque after a massive protest in the West Bank last night resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians.

Israeli security forces have been put on heightened alert and deployed in and around Jerusalem's Old City after Palestinians declared today a "day of rage" following the violent and deadly clashes.

Sky's David Bowden, at the scene, said: "We have already had the first minor skirmish. Riot police charged down the road a short time ago towards a group of youths who were protesting, throwing rocks.

Riot police near Temple Mount in Jerusalem

"The riot police fired baton rounds and they arrested at least one protester who was dragged away with his hands behind his back.

"A water cannon followed the police down, and actually they had set fire to a couple of massive tyres, and they used the water cannon as a fire truck and put that fire out.

"I don't want to over-egg this. It wasn't a great conflagration, but it gives you an idea of the tension here already.

"It didn't take very much for the police to scoot down this road under a barrage of rocks and start arresting people.

"And we are expecting more of this to happen as more and more people come out from the mosque."

Friday prayers are being held at the Al Aqsa mosque

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Sky News: "We are taking all necessary precaution in order to prevent disturbances and if necessary, respond as we did last night.

"Once we receive clear indications that there are going to be disturbances on the Temple Mount it is necessary for an implementation of age limits in and around the Old City.

"Therefore, if there are disturbances, we will deal with them in and around the different neighbourhoods in the Israeli-Arab villages, and not on the Temple Mount where it is more difficult,

"We are taking all of these measures in order to prevent people from being injured or possibly killed around this area."

At least 150 people were injured in the mass protest

Amid the growing tensions, Israel and Hamas have been trading more fire, taking the Palestinian death toll to 815.

Hamas attempted to attack Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv with three rockets - two of which were destroyed mid-air by the Israelis.

It comes after EU and US authorities temporarily suspended all commercial flights after a rocket struck near runways on Tuesday.

A pregnant woman was among this morning's casualties in Gaza following a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes on the area.

Surgeons managed to save the 23-year-old's unborn child, but a 12-year-old and 15-year-old were said to be among those killed in the strike on the southern city of Rafah, health officials said.

More than 140,000 people have fled the conflict, while some 33 Israeli soldiers have been killed, and three civilians have died in Israel from rocket fire.

More to follow...

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Gaza Conflict From Space In 'Saddest Photo'

An astronaut has posted a picture from the International Space Station while flying over Gaza and Israel, showing the worsening crisis which has left more than 700 people dead.

German flight engineer Alexander Gerst captured the scene from 220 miles above the Earth as rockets and explosions lit up the night sky with wispy yellow light.

His photo quickly went viral on the internet as he tweeted the message: "My saddest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza & #Israel."

Tens of thousands around the world shared the image as international pressure grows to stop the bloodshed in Gaza.

The UN Human Rights Council says there is a "strong possibility" Israel is guilty of war crimes in Gaza, where some 715 Palestinians, including 165 children, have died in the fighting.

German flight engineer Alexander Gerst on the ISS. Pic: Alexander Gerst

It also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mortars by the Islamist movement Hamas into Israel, where 34 lives have been lost.

The continued fighting has led to the cancellation of many flights into Tel Aviv and has sparked protests and claims of growing anti-Semitism around the world.

Thousands of protesters - many shouting slogans such as "Israel killer" - held demonstrations in the French cities of Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille and Reims on Wednesday.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve warned activists that anyone caught shouting "Death to the Jews!" or burning an Israeli flag would be arrested.

After the marches, 16 people were held in the Jewish quarter of Paris' Marais district after attempting to break into a restaurant while yelling "anti-Semitic insults," a police source said.

Other protests have also taken place outside the Israeli embassy in London.

Britain's Jewish community has seen a doubling of anti-Semitic incidents over the last few weeks, according to the Jewish Community Trust.

It has issued an advisory notice to all UK Jewish venues, warning that security procedures should be "rigorously followed".

In Austria, Israeli football team Maccabi Haifa's game against French side Lille had to be stopped after pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the pitch and attacked the Maccabi players.

Germany has condemned anti-Semitic chants and threats heard at some protests in the country.

A spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel reassured the Jewish community they are safe and said the government "will continue to campaign for the security of Jewish citizens".

Yakov Hadas-Handelsman, the Israeli ambassador to Germany, said: "They pursue the Jews in the streets of Berlin ... as if we were in 1938."

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Rockets Stored In Gaza School Are 'Missing'

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his "alarm" after rockets were stored in a UN-run school in Gaza, and then went "missing".

A spokesman for Mr Ban said the UN chief was "outraged" at the placement of the weapons and says this has happened at least twice so far in the current fighting.

"Those responsible are turning schools into potential military targets, and endangering the lives of innocent children, UN staff and anyone seeking shelter," the spokesman said in a statement.

The rockets had been placed at one of the schools run by the UN refugee agency for Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is "outraged" over the weapons

Mr Ban's deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said that once they were found, "in accordance with standard practice, UNRWA handed them over to the local authorities. Since then, they have gone missing".

Mr Ban has ordered a full review into the incidents.

Last week, the UNRWA said it discovered around 20 rockets hidden in an empty school during a routine check and called on Hamas militants to respect the "sanctity and integrity" of UN property.

It said the incident was "the first of its kind in Gaza".

A second incident was reported on Tuesday, with the UNRWA saying it found rockets hidden at a vacant school during another regular inspection.

The UN was unable to confirm exactly how many rockets were placed there.

The organisation said on Monday that more than 83,000 people are now taking refuge in its schools in Gaza and the numbers are growing.

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Hammond: West 'Losing Sympathy For Israel'

Key Dates In The Gaza-Israel Conflict

Updated: 11:43am UK, Thursday 24 July 2014

Israel's ground offensive in the Gaza Strip continues with forces attempting to destroy Hamas' weapons arsenal and rocketing-firing capabilities.

Here are the key events from the fighting that preceded and have followed Israel's operation:

July 8 - Israel launches "Operation Protective Edge" in a bid to quell near-daily militant rocket attacks in the aftermath of the abduction and killing of a Palestinian teenager in what appeared to be a revenge attack for the seizure and slaying of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in June.

July 9 - Hamas rockets rain deep into Israel as the military pummels Palestinian targets. The military says 74 rockets landed in Israel, including in the northern city of Hadera, the deepest rocket strike ever from Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas will pay a "heavy price".

July 10 - Israel intensifies its bombardment. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges an immediate ceasefire but neither side shows much interest in halting the fighting.

July 11 - Mr Netanyahu vows to press forward with a broad military offensive. The Israeli military says it has hit more than 1,100 targets, mostly rocket-launching sites, while Palestinian militants fired more than 600 rockets at Israel. The Lebanese military says militants there fired three rockets toward Israel and the Israelis retaliated with about 25 artillery shells.

July 12 - Gaza City becomes a virtual ghost town as streets empty, shops close and hundreds of thousands of people keep close to home. The death toll rises to more than 156 Palestinians after more than 1,200 Israeli air strikes.

July 13 - Israel widens its campaign, targeting civilian institutions with suspected Hamas ties, and briefly deploys ground troops inside Gaza to raid a rocket launching site. Four Israeli soldiers are hurt during the brief incursion. Egypt, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, continues to work behind the scenes.

July 14 - Israel says it's downed an unmanned drone along its southern coastline. Egypt presents a cease-fire plan that is praised by President Barack Obama at a White House dinner celebrating the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

July 15 - Israeli Cabinet accepts Egypt's truce plan, halting fire for six hours but Hamas rejects the proposal, instead unleashing more rockets at Israel and prompting Israel to resume heavy bombardment. Rocket fire kills an Israeli man delivering food to soldiers, the first Israeli fatality in the fighting. Four Gaza boys, all cousins, are killed on a beach by shells fired from a navy ship.

July 16 - Hamas fires dozens of rockets into Israel, vowing not to agree to a ceasefire until its demands are met. The Gaza Interior Ministry's website says Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of airstrikes, targeting 30 houses, including those of four senior Hamas leaders. Later, both Israel and Hamas agree to a five-hour UN brokered "humanitarian" pause to start the following day.

July 17 - Both sides trade fire in run-up to the brief truce, which Gazans use to restock on food and other supplies. Israel says it foiled an attack by 13 Gaza militants who infiltrated through a tunnel. Fierce fighting resumes after the truce expires, including an airstrike that kills three Palestinian children. After nightfall, the Israeli military launches a ground invasion into Gaza Strip.

July 18 - Eight members of the same Palestinian family - two men, two women and four children - are killed by Israeli tank fire as the ground offensive to date claims the lives of 51 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.

July 19 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he wants to meet both sides to try to secure a truce as Israel pledges to step up its ground offensive. Hamas says its fighters are "behind enemy lines" as security alerts are triggered in southern Israel.

July 20 - Fresh airstrikes, artillery shelling and gun battles overnight kill 12 Palestinians and two more Israeli soldiers, as Israel intensifies its ground offensive in Gaza. Israeli minister Naftali Bennett defends the ground offensive in Gaza and accuses Hamas of "self-genocide" by using women and children as human shields.

July 21 - Another airstrike kills 26 members of the same family, while seven more Israeli soldiers die in gun battles with Hamas fighters. Thirty of those wounded in the attack are reportedly medical staff.

July 22 - The Palestinian leadership proposes a ceasefire plan to mediators in Egypt which would be followed by five days of negotiations to stop the fighting which has claimed the lives of more than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and 29 Israelis, including 27 soldiers.

July 23 - An international inquiry into Israel's actions in Gaza is launched, after the UN's Human Rights Commissioner says there is a "strong possibility" the country is guilty of war crimes. Several major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada suspend flights to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza lands near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

July 24 - British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warns Benjamin Netanyahu the West is losing sympathy for Israel amid the rising number of civilian deaths during its offensive in Gaza, as international efforts to end the conflict intensify. However, hopes of an effective ceasefire quickly diminish after Israel vows to continue hunting Palestinian cross-border tunnels under any humanitarian truce, while Hamas also rejects a truce without the lifting of Israel's eight-year blockade of Gaza.

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Major Airlines Suspend Flights To Israel

Major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada are refusing to fly to and from Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion international airport.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have suspended services between the US and Israel for at least 24 hours, while Germany's Lufthansa and Air France also suspended flights.

Low-fare airline EasyJet is also scrapping its scheduled services for today. The airline said it will "review its operations to and from Israel on a day-by-day basis".

The US flight bans followed advice from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which stopped American flights from travelling to Tel Aviv, citing the "potentially hazardous situation" caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.

However, Secretary of State John Kerry flew into Israel's main airport as he continues to push a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

An Israeli military excavator searches for tunnels on the border with Gaza

Israel's military has confirmed two of its soldiers died overnight in further fighting, raising the Israeli death toll to 29 soldiers and two civilians.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has recommended that all European airlines avoid Tel Aviv "until further notice".

Greece's Aegean Airlines and Air Canada have also grounded flights to Tel Aviv.

But a spokeswoman for British Airways said the airline's twice-daily service from London to Tel Aviv would continue.

"We are continuing to operate to Israel as normal," the spokeswoman said.

Israel's Transportation Ministry has urged the airlines to reconsider their decision, insisting that the nation's busiest air hub was secure.

"Ben Gurion Airport is safe and completely guarded and there is no reason whatsoever that American companies would stop their flights and hand terror a prize," it said in a statement.

And former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was planning to fly into Tel Aviv with El Al as the ban was handing "Hamas an undeserved victory".

United Airlines planes seen at Newark International Airport

The flight cancellations came as Israel continued its offensive in Gaza, where the death toll has passed 620 people.

Israel launched a major offensive on July 8 in Gaza to stop Hamas militants firing rockets over the border.

Palestinian militants have fired more than 2,000 rockets towards Israel, but many have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defence system.

More than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, have been killed in the conflict.

Mr Kerry held talks in Egypt before arriving in Israel.

"The Egyptians have provided a framework and a forum for them to be able to come to the table to have a serious discussion together with other factions of the Palestinians," the top US diplomat said.

"Hamas has a fundamental choice to make and it is a choice that will have a profound impact for the people of Gaza."

Today he plans to meet with Israel's prime minister, the Palestinian Authority's president and the United Nations chief in a day-long visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah.

The Palestinian leadership says it has proposed a ceasefire plan to mediators aimed at halting the violence.

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