Israel May 'Broaden' Assault As Truce Stalls

Israel 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".

Both sides reportedly agreed to observe a 12-hour pause in hostilities from 8am (6am UK time) on Saturday after five Palestinians were killed in the West Bank as violence spread to the territory.

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."

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

Even as the brief respite approached, eight Palestinians were reportedly 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.

Nasri Mahmud Paqatqa, 16, was killed and five others wounded in a clash at the village of Beit Fajar, south of Bethlehem and 18-year-old Bassem Abu Rub died in a protest at the Jalama military checkpoint in the northern West Bank, Palestinian officials told AFP.

Mr Kerry is now heading to Paris for international talks on a ceasefire, with Britain, Germany, Turkey and Qatar among those attending.

Smoke billows from Gaza City after Israeli airstrikes

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".

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

A map showing the areas of conflict and violence

The bombardment continued in Gaza, with two children and a pregnant woman among 55 killed by Israeli strikes according to officials - though doctors managed to save the unborn child.

Meanwhile, Sky's Sherine Tadros witnessed a "barrage" of rockets fired out of Gaza by militants. Many were intercepted and no casualties were reported.

Some 140,000 people have fled Gaza since the conflict began on July 8. More than 800 Palestinians have lost their lives.

Three civilians have died in Israel from rocket fire, while 35 Israeli soldiers have been killed during combat.

Security concerns prompted several airlines to stop flying to Tel Aviv earlier this week - but both Air France and Lufthansa have now lifted their bans.

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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 AH5107.

"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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Air Algerie Plane Wreckage Found In Mali

The wreckage of an Air Algerie flight which vanished from radar in West Africa has been discovered in southern Mali - but no survivors have yet been found, authorities have said.

Burkina Faso's commander in chief Gilbert Diendere said the burnt-out wreckage of flight AH5017 was found south of the Mali town of Gao.

Local Malian authorities in the nearby town of Gossi also told Reuters the wreckage had been located there.

General Diendere the search team had gone from Burkina Faso to Mali to follow up on information they had received about the possible crash location.

He said: "The team went to meet, first of all, our informers and bring our informers on the crash site. And indeed, the mission found, on the site, pieces of the plane, this team found on the site, sadly, remains of dead bodies.

"We were not able to evaluate exactly what is the situation as night began to fall and this team has confirmed that it has seen the remains of the plane, totally burned 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.

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

The Air Algerie jet, which was carrying 110 passengers and six crew, was travelling from Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou to the Algerian capital Algiers when it disappeared around 50 minutes into the flight.

Earlier, France's foreign minister Laurent Fabius said authorities believed the aircraft may have encountered bad weather after the pilot requested to change direction shortly after take-off due to a storm.

However, he said no theories had been excluded.

The twin-engined MD-83 carries 168 people

Burkina Faso's transport minister Jean Bertin Ouedrago said the plane's passenger list included 51 French citizens.

Also on the jet were 27 Burkina Faso nationals, eight Lebanese, six Algerians, five Canadians, four Germans, two Luxemburg nationals, one Swiss, one Belgium, 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 is 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 a nearly 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 is 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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Two Palestinians Killed In West Bank Protest

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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'Valid Data' Downloaded From MH17 Black Box

Black Boxes Set To Reveal MH17's Last Moments

Updated: 1:58pm UK, Wednesday 23 July 2014

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

The black boxes of MH17 are now in Farnborough, being investigated by the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch.

What sort of data do they contain - and what might they tell us about MH17's last moments?

First, even if the black boxes were directly hit by the missile (they were both probably in the tail of the plane, as this section tends to survive crashes more intact), they should still have recorded data for some milliseconds or seconds after the crash, if not longer.

There are two black boxes. One is the cockpit voice recorder. This records every conversation in the cockpit during the flight, both between pilots, and between pilots and ground control.

It also records any ambient sounds. This could mean alarms, as well as the sound of any explosion.

We'll find out if the pilots had any warning of the missile.

The other black box is the flight data recorder. According to pilot Chris McGee, this is a "brain dump" for an airplane.

Around 150,000 parameters are logged, including outside air pressure and temperature, cabin air pressure and temperature, flight controls, and engine performance.

This data could help piece together how exactly MH17 came down.

The investigators should glean more detail from the black boxes. But it won't shed much light on the main facts we already know - that MH17 was shot down by a missile.

The black boxes cannot tell us who shot that missile.

So is it a futile exercise?

No. The information on how MH17 managed to survive, however briefly, after the missile strike, and how it fell to the earth, will be useful for manufacturers.

For example, the flight data from the Lockerbie bombing in 1988 helped aircraft makers redesign fuselages to be stronger and safer.

The circumstances of MH17 are extraordinary and horrifying. But the data from its black boxes will improve safety for the next flight.

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MH17 Victims' Bodies Arrive In The Netherlands

The bodies of some of the first victims recovered from downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have been brought to the Netherlands from the crash site in eastern Ukraine.

Two military aircraft - one Dutch and the other Australian - left Kharkiv Airport in northeastern Ukraine earlier carrying the bodies of 40 victims between them in wooden coffins.

The jets arrived at Eindhoven airport in the Netherlands where they were met by relatives, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of the Dutch royal family.

Bells were sounded across the country and the Last Post played at the airport as an eerie silence fell across the airbase.

A coffin of one victim is carried from a plane to a hearse in Eindhoven

The coffins were carried off the planes by military personnel and each one put in a hearse.

Sky's Ian Woods, at the airport, said: "Around 1,000 relatives are watching from behind a screen, including members of two British families, even though they don't know if their loved ones are on board the planes."

A minute's silence was observed nationwide, and a motorcade took the bodies to the Korporaal Van Oudheusdenkazerne military barracks in Hilversum, where the long process of identifying the remains will begin using DNA, dental records and finger prints.

Hearses take the bodies to a military barracks

Jean Fransman, a spokesman for the ministry of security in the Netherlands, told Sky News: "We have chosen this location because these facilities have everything that's needed to carry out the identification process as quickly as possible with respect and discretion."

There was a national day of mourning in the Netherlands for the 298 people killed, including 193 Dutch, that also included a silent march in Amsterdam.

The Dutch Prime Minister has warned it could take weeks or even months to formally identify the victims before their bodies are released for repatriation.

People pay their respects in Amsterdam

A team of nine disaster victim identification (DVI) personnel from Britain, including six police officers, a crime scene manager and forensic photographer, will assist the Dutch authorities, which are leading the investigation.

The bodies are the first of some 200 victims which are expected to be flown out of Ukraine during the course of this week.

It is thought more than 80 bodies still remain at the scene.

However, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has cast doubt over the numbers that have been recovered and handed over by pro-Russian separatists, and warned it is unclear how many bodies may have arrived in Kharkiv and been left behind.

"It's quite possible that many bodies are still out there in the open, in the European summer, subject to interference and subject to the ravages of heat and animals," he said.

Meanwhile, unverified video has emerged apparently showing the wreckage of two Ukrainian fighter jets which were reportedly shot down by separatists.

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MH17 Plane Crash: Around 80 Bodies 'Missing'

Dutch investigators say the remains of only 200 people from flight MH17, in addition to some body parts, have been delivered to forensic teams.

Some 298 people, the majority of them from the Netherlands, were on board the flight.

"At this moment we are talking about 200, that is for sure, 200 victims - which means there are probably remains left in the area where this disaster took place," said Jaan Tunder, from the Dutch forensics team.

Separatist leader Aleksander Borodai (L) handed over the black boxes

OSCE observers at the crash scene on Tuesday confirmed there were still unrecovered human remains and "smaller body parts".

An Interpol team is currently helping examine remains in the first stages of what it calls DVI (Disaster Victim Identification), after the victims recovered so far were transported overnight to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Pro-Russian separatists had said the remains of 282 people would be on board the refrigerated train.

The bodies will be flown to the Netherlands on Wednesday where full identification is to take place.

The black boxes could provide vital clues about the downing of the jet

Dozens of police scientists are on standby to identify the remains and return them to families, but the Dutch prime minister has warned the process could take months.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that British experts based at Farnborough will examine data from the black boxes of flight MH17.

David Cameron confirmed the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) would take the lead in analysing the crucial black box data.

He tweeted: "We've agreed Dutch request for air accident investigators at Farnborough to retrieve data from #MH17 black boxes for international analysis."

The train carrying the victims arrived in Kharkiv overnight

Separatists handed over the black boxes as EU foreign ministers agreed to impose sanctions on more Russian officials in the wake of the crash.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he wanted President Putin's "cronies" to bear the brunt of the new measures, likely to be visa bans and asset freezes.

The number of Russian officials on the list has not yet been revealed.

Moscow is accused of arming the pro-Russian rebels who are suspected of shooting down the Malaysia Airlines plane.

A senior US intelligence official confirmed evidence suggests the Russian regime was not directly involved, but that it "created the conditions" for the plane to be shot down by mistake.

Malaysia investigators have begun surveying the site

The Russians are still supplying the separatists with tanks and rocket launchers - even after the disaster, claimed the source.

EU ministers said "further significant restrictive measures" would be taken against Russia's defence, energy and financial sectors if it did not comply with a list of demands.

It called on Russia to use its influence over the armed separatists to secure "full, immediate, safe and secure" access to the crash site, and to stop the flow of weapons to the rebels.

Malaysian investigators are now at the scene of the crash, which is still strewn with wreckage and possessions.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay said it was "noticeably calmer" on Tuesday as investigators began documenting the devastation, making notes and photographing evidence.

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Airlines Halt Israel Flights Amid Rocket Fire

US and European airlines have grounded flights to Israel, after a plane was diverted when a rocket landed near Tel Aviv's airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an advisory banning American airlines from flying to Tel Aviv for 24 hours after Delta, US Airways and United all cancelled services to Israel.

EasyJet, Air France, Dutch airline KLM and Germany's Lufthansa were among European carriers which later announced they had followed suit.

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued a "strong recommendation" to airlines to avoid Tel Aviv airport until further notice.

But not all carriers heeded the warning - British Airways said its twice-daily London-Tel Aviv service would continue.

People at the Tel Aviv airport were sent running for shelter earlier

Israel's Transportation Ministry 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.

Employees and passengers at the Tel Aviv airport were sent running for shelter earlier on Tuesday as warning sirens wailed amid the incoming rocket fire.

A deserted ticket desk for El Al Airlines at JFK airport in New York

Delta said one of its planes from New York to Ben Gurion Airport had to be diverted to Paris because of the incident.

Flight 468 had 273 passengers and 17 crew on board.

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri told AP news agency a missile had damaged a house and slightly wounded one Israeli.

Atlanta-based Delta suspended its service until further notice

The FAA said it had "issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) informing US airlines that they are prohibited from flying to or from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport for a period of up to 24 hours.

"The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22, 2014."

The FAA issued a broader air warning about Ukraine earlier this year before last week's downing of a passenger jet over that country, killing all 298 people on board.

Over 2,000 rockets have been fired at Israel, though many are intercepted

Atlanta-based Delta said its once-daily service between Ben Gurion and New York's JFK airport would be suspended until further notice.

The airline said it had acted with the FAA to "ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees".

United Airlines, which runs two daily flights to Israel out of Newark, New Jersey, also grounded its service.

Cancellations on a display board at Ben Gurion Airport

US Airways, which operates one flight a day between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv, said it would reevaluate the situation regarding future flights.

Elsewhere in North America, Air Canada grounded its flights.

Israel launched a major offensive on July 8 on the Gaza Strip to stop Hamas militants firing rockets into Israel, and the fighting continues.

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

More than 600 Palestinians, many of them women and children, and 29 Israelis, including 27 soldiers, have been killed in the 15-day conflict.

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MH17 Crash: Rebels Hand Over Black Boxes

Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have handed over the black boxes from flight MH17 to Malaysian experts.

As an armed rebel placed the boxes on a desk, Aleksander Borodai told a packed room at the headquarters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic: "Here they are, the black boxes."

Both sides then signed a document, which the rebel leader said was to finalise the hand over.

The two flight data recorders from the downed Malaysia Airlines plane are "in good condition", according to Malaysian Colonel Mohamed Sakri.

"I can see that the black boxes are intact, although a bit damaged," he said, extending his thanks to "His Excellency Mr Borodai" for passing them on.

Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman, has claimed that pro-Russian rebels have tampered with the black boxes.

Borodai (L) hands over the black boxes to Col Sakri (R)

Earlier on Monday, a train carrying the remains of 282 of the victims left the station where it was being guarded by armed separatists.

The refrigerated wagons were filmed leaving Torez, and will be taken to the city of Kharkiv, some 186 miles (300km) northwest.

There they will be handed over to Dutch officials before being flown to the Netherlands.

A satellite image of the wreckage of MH17. Pic: DigitalGlobe

It was announced at the press conference that a ceasefire within a six mile (10km) radius around the crash site would be put in place so international investigators can access the area where the jet was shot down last week with 298 people on board.

Fighting between pro-Ukrainian groups and pro-Russian separatists flared in Donetsk on Monday, some 40 miles (60km) from the crash site.

Health officials said four people were killed in the clashes, while rebel military commander Igor Strelkov said up to 12 of his men died in the fighting.

Part of the wreckage of flight MH17, which had 298 people on board

As the diplomatic fallout from the disaster continues, EU foreign ministers will meet on Tuesday to discuss imposing new sanctions on Russia.

It comes after yet more accusations were traded between Moscow and Kiev over who is to blame.

Russia's ambassador to Malaysia told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur that audio recordings of rebels admitting shooting down the plane are "fake" and a "compilation of different conversations".

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UN Demands Full Access To Plane Crash Site

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning the downing of flight MH17 and demanding armed groups allow safe, full and unrestricted access to the crash site.

The resolution, drafted by Australia, also demands those responsible for the crash be held to account and calls for an international investigation into the tragedy in eastern Ukraine in which all 298 people on board died.

The unanimous backing by the 15-member council, including Russia, comes as the remains of 282 of the victims are being taken in refrigerated carriages on a train from the rebel-held town of Torez to the government-controlled city of Kharkiv.

The remains will then be handed over to Dutch officials and flown to Amsterdam.

Pro-Russian rebels have been blamed for shooting down the plane. Their leader Aleksander Borodai has given the black box flight recorders to Malaysian officials in Donetsk.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said a deal was struck with the separatists where independent international investigators will be given "full access" to the crash site.

Ukrainian deputy prime minister Volodymyr Groysman had suggested pro-Russian rebels had tampered with the recorders.

Mr Putin says experts investigating the disaster should be protected

But a Malaysian colonel said the black boxes were in a "good condition".

Meanwhile, the Russian defence ministry has claimed a Ukrainian military plane flew within 3-5km of flight MH17 just before the Malaysian aircraft crashed.

Moscow has also denied supplying pro-Russian rebels with BUK missile systems - the weapon that is suspected of bringing down the passenger plane - or any other military hardware.

It said it detected the Ukrainian SU-25 combat jet on radar and noticed an increase in radar activity just before the Malaysian Airlines jet was destroyed.

It also said Ukrainian air defence forces had three or four battalions of BUK-M1 systems on combat duty on the day of the crash.

However, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said all his planes in the area were grounded at the time of the downed aircraft.

US President Barack Obama had called on Mr Putin to compel the rebels to stop hampering the probe and allow international investigators unrestricted access.

He accused the separatists of removing evidence from the crash site, actions that he said raised the question of "what exactly are they trying to hide?"

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the evidence pointed towards flight MH17 being shot down by an SA-11 missile, also known as a BUK-M1, fired by pro-Russian separatists.

Mr Cameron said Russian President Vladimir Putin must use his influence to end the conflict in Ukraine by halting supplies and training to separatists.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said Mr Putin is "on the side of the devil" as he reiterated Kiev's view that Russia had a clear role in shooting down the airliner.

The Russian president has vowed to "do everything to ensure the security and safety" of experts investigating the disaster. And he said "all people" in Ukraine are responsible for the tragedy.

In the Netherlands, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima met relatives of the 193 Dutch people who died on the plane.

Mr Cameron said tougher sanctions may soon be imposed on Russia, adding he had spoken to Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande and there is "strong co-operation" within the EU for action.

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No Sign Of A Gaza Truce Despite Bloodshed

By Tom Rayner, Middle East Reporter, In Ashkelon, Israel

Despite the extraordinary bloodshed in the Gaza district of Shajai'ya, there is no indication it will be a game-changer.

With more than 85 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers dead in the last 24 hours, the prospect of a truce between Israel and Hamas remains elusive.

A short humanitarian ceasefire in Shajai'ya, to allow emergency workers access, was only partially and sporadically observed, with accusations on both sides that the other had broken fire first.

If progress has been made in Qatar, now acting as the Hamas "communication channel" for meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, it has not been made public.

Gaza residents leaving their homes

The Arab League has condemned the attack on Shajai'ya as a "war crime", the Palestinian Liberation Organisation describing it as "nothing short of a deliberate massacre".

But in the most part, while bemoaning the civilian casualties and calling for an immediate ceasefire, Western leaders have remained supportive of Israel's operation.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said "our hearts go out to the Palestinian people trapped in Gaza, suffering appalling losses" before adding "but the fact is Israel has a right to protect itself against attack and Hamas has been using those areas to launch rocket attacks systematically".

In a Fox News interview, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he backed Israel's right to defend itself, and berated Hamas for "stubbornly" refusing a ceasefire.

Wounded Israeli soldiers receive treatment

But in a moment captured in the studio before the interview, Mr Kerry appeared to be privately critical of the way Israel was conducting its operation.

Talking candidly by phone to an aide, Kerry said sarcastically "it's a hell of a pinpoint operation, a hell of a pinpoint operation ... we've got to get over there ... I think we ought to go tonight, it's crazy to be sitting around".

A similar point was made by former Foreign Minister Alastair Burt MP, who told Sky News: "The more killings of civilians goes on, the more children are injured, the more horrendous it is,  the more difficult it gets for Israel to explain its position, whatever the justification may be."

But if levels of international concern are gradually growing, the Israeli government remains convinced its actions are justified.

Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murnaghan, Israel's economy minister Naftali Bennett said: "Sometimes in wars there is collateral damage, but I'm not going to ask forgiveness for defending my four children that had rockets shot at home this very morning.

Israeli artillery firing into Gaza

"What Hamas is doing is effectively self-genocide.

"They are deliberately sending their women and children to stand next to missile launchers in order for them to get killed."

Hamas refutes such suggestions, saying it is a resistance movement fighting against an oppressor that targets civilian areas to terrify the population into submission.

It is clear neither side will end this on their own.

Until pressure increases from the West on the one hand, and from regional players like Qatar, Turkey and Egypt on the other, hopes of an end to the deepening chaos and bloodshed appear remote.

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Israel Denies 'Soldier Captured' Amid Shelling

Israel's UN Ambassador denies reports that Hamas' armed wing has captured an Israeli soldier, amid an assault on the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 100 Palestinians.

Ron Prosor told reporters at the United Nations where an emergency meeting on the crisis is taking place: "There's no kidnapped Israeli soldier and those rumours are untrue."

Earlier, masked spokesman Abu Ubaida, speaking on a Hamas television station, claimed: "We have captured a Zionist soldier and the occupation has not admitted that."

It comes after 13 Israeli soldiers were also killed during the country's ground offensive in Gaza, making it the deadliest day of the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas.

People fleeing the shelling in the northeast Gazan neighbourhood of Shaja'iya described it as a "massacre", with many women and children among the dead.

An injured Palestinian woman at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City

But Israel's Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the military incursion to secure the safety of those living in the south of the country.

The Israeli military said the 13 soldiers, from Golani brigade, died during the offensive on Sunday, including seven who were killed after their armoured personnel carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile.

Officials said 35,000 people fled the fighting in Gaza on Sunday as the artillery bombardment began.

Sky's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Shaja'iya, said: "We have seen hundreds upon hundreds of people leaving and they are not carrying bags packed with clothes, they are not carrying anything. They are literally running for their lives.

Israeli mobile artillery fires at targets inside Gaza

"They are leaving this area but of course there is nowhere safe here. You expect to see all these people flee across a border, but they can't cross a border. Gaza is completely locked off."

An Israeli military spokeswoman said residents in Shaja'iya were warned to evacuate the area two days ago through recorded messages.

US Secretary of State John Kerry was overheard expressing what appeared to be pointed concern over the deaths of civilians during the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

In a conversation caught on microphone before an interview, Mr Kerry made what seemed to be a sarcastic remark about Israel's insistence it was doing its utmost to avoid civilian casualties in operations against Hamas militants.

Smoke rises after air strikes in Shaja'iya, northeast Gaza

"It's a hell of a pinpoint operation. It's a hell of a pinpoint operation," he said during the call.

Mr Kerry who is expected to travel to the Middle East soon to press for a ceasefire was also overheard saying to an aide: "We got to get over there ... we ought to go tonight. I think it's crazy to be sitting around."

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama told Mr Netanyahu during a telephone call that he had serious concerns about the rising number of casualties, "and stressed the need to protect civilians-in Gaza and in Israel".

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Netanyahu said: "We are carrying out a complex, deep, intensive activity inside the Gaza Strip and there is world support for this ... very strong support within the international community for the activity that the IDF is doing."

Nearly 90 people are thought to have been killed on Sunday alone

Hamas accepted a proposal - secured by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - for a two-hour humanitarian ceasefire on Sunday.

But an Israeli military spokesman said the ground offensive had resumed after the temporary truce was breached by Hamas fighters within an hour.

Earlier Naftali Bennett, Israeli economic minister, told Sky News Hamas was "cynically" using women and children as human shields.

"They only difference between us and Hamas in Gaza is that they are deliberately sending their women and children to stand next to missile launchers in order for them to get killed and then they cry to the world that they are being killed," he said.

The Palestinian leadership slammed the "massacre" in Shaja'iya, while the Arab League claimed Israel had committed "war crimes".

The Israeli military has said it has hit more than 2,500 targets in Gaza, including 1,100 rocket launchers, after nearly two weeks of fighting.

It has said around 70 militants have been killed and another 13 brought to Israel for questioning after more than 1,760 rockets were fired at Israeli cities since July 8.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has travelled to Qatar to try to restart ceasefire efforts.

Last week, Hamas rejected an Egyptian-brokered truce - saying it would only agree if Israel and Egypt significantly eased the border blockade of Gaza.

Since the start of the fighting, more than 425 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,600 wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

A total of 18 Israeli military personnel have been killed and two Israeli civilians have also died in rocket attacks.

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Britain Warns Putin: World's Eyes Are On You

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has warned Vladimir Putin the "world's eyes are on Russia to make sure she delivers" on her obligations to the victims killed in the Ukraine plane disaster.

His comments come as David Cameron and Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte called for the European Union to "reconsider its approach to Russia" in light of evidence pro-Moscow separatists brought down the flight on Thursday.

Mr Cameron also spoke to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, while Britain's Russian ambassador has been summoned to the Foreign Office.

The UK's response follows accusations pro-Russian separatists removed 38 bodies from the crash scene and attempted to destroy evidence at the site.

The Ukraine government said "terrorists, with the help of Russia, are trying to destroy evidence of international crimes," adding it had obtained data which showed bodies had been taken to a morgue in Donetsk.

Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said the Netherlands was "angry" and "furious" by allegations bodies were being dragged around the site.

An armed pro-Russia militant stands at the site of the crash

However, Sky's Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, at the scene, said there were reports rebels had moved bodies on Friday, but body parts were now officially being removed by Ukraine emergency ministry staff.

Mr Hammond, who chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on Saturday, accused Russia of not doing enough to move separatists from the site.

"We're not getting enough support from the Russians, we're not seeing Russia using their influence effectively enough to get the separatists, who are in control of the site, to allow the access that we need," he said.

"This is not about Russia and the West, this is about the whole community demanding that proper access is made available to this site, the victims are properly recovered, and evidence is secured."

Flowers, teddy bears and a note reading 'Remember' left at the crash site

Ukraine's Security Council said 18sq km of the 25sq km had been explored and 186 bodies found, while there have been discussions between the two factions over the creation of a "security zone" around the crash scene following allegations of looting and evidence being compromised.

Concerns have been raised by Malaysia about the investigation as a team of international observers complained of being confronted by aggressive armed rebels.

A Ukraine Security Council spokesman said 15 pieces of military equipment were brought over the border from Russia into the eastern Luhansk region overnight.

Critically, the monitors have been unable to speak to anyone about the whereabouts of the jet's two black box voice and data recorders.

Newspapers in Malaysia, which lost 44 citizens

However, Alexander Borodai, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, denied rebels had shot down the plane, found the black boxes, or removed bodies. But he said body parts which had fallen into people's homes had been taken away.

British experts are due to join the investigation at the crash site over the weekend.

Some 298 people including 10 Britons and 80 children were killed when flight MH17, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was brought down near Grabovo, Donetsk, where Ukrainian forces have been battling separatists.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed on Saturday that both countries would use their influence on the two sides of the Ukraine conflict to end hostilities

:: The Foreign Office has set up a helpline for anyone concerned.  Text MH17 to +447860010026, or call 020 7008 1500. Malaysia Airlines's emergency line is 00 6 037 884 1234.

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MH17: Money Pours Into Fund For Newcastle Fans

Malaysia Airlines Defends War Zone Flight Path

Updated: 4:48pm UK, Saturday 19 July 2014

A Malaysia Airlines official has defended the company's decision to fly over eastern Ukraine after flight MH17 was brought down.

Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director for the airline, said there had been no incidents involving civilian aircraft using the flight path and Malaysia Airlines had been using it "for quite some time".

However, at least three Ukrainian military aircraft were hit by missiles fired by pro-Russian separatists operating in the region in the week before MH17 was shot out of the sky, killing 298 people. Of the victims, 189 are Dutch.

Mr Dunleavy told Sky News: "Now there's been an incident like this, everyone is looking back saying 'you should have done something different'.

"But at the time we were flying, along with many other airlines on that flight path, there had been no incidents involving civilian aircraft.

"These are routes that are traditionally accepted on a day-by-day basis by the air traffic control authorities so they also consider them safe to fly.

"This was something totally extraordinary, it could just as easily have been the aircraft ahead of Malaysia Airlines or the aircraft behind that was hit."

Mr Dunleavy added the airline would now be using an alternative flight path around Ukraine and they have stopped calling the route MH17 out of respect for the victims. It will now be called MH19.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency and other aviation authorities recently issued a "notice to airmen" (NOTAM) putting the eastern edge of Ukrainian airspace off limits up to 32,000 feet because of the conflict.

But MH17 was flying at 33,000 feet when it was hit by a missile fired from what experts believe was a Buk launcher.

Ukraine has now closed all airspace in the east. 

Ismail Nasaruddin, president of the Malaysian Flight Attendant Union, said some crew members were too distraught to work following the tragedy.

He said: "We have lost 21 crew members in a very short time period. This is not something we like to see.

"We are affected, the crew members are demoralised by the essence of this tragic incident.

"What we are looking at now is probably an event that Malaysia crew members have never experienced before."

Daniel Holland, a military aviation expert, told Sky News airspace above war zones should be sealed off to commercial aircraft.

He said: "When a war zone occurs, everything from ground level up until realistically the level of space needs to be sealed off to any and all commercial traffic just to avoid something like this happening where a plane accidentally wanders over a battle ground.

"You've got that probability that an accidental misfire could occur and strike a civilian target without any real rhyme or reason, other than it being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

On Tuesday, Polish blogger Michael Dembinski suggested flying over eastern Ukraine was "worrying".

He wrote: "Take a look at eastern Ukraine and you'll see a procession of civilian aircraft flying along an air corridor between Luhansk, Donetsk, Horlivka, Kramatorsk - places where battles are raging and people are being killed.

"Yet blithely oblivious to what's happening on the ground, some of the world's largest civilian airliners are criss-crossing the area at 38,000ft."

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