Israel suspends ceasefire contacts with Egypt and U.N., official says

Egypt and U.N. Mideast Nickolay Mladenov have been involved for weeks in trying to restore quiet to Gaza and were reportedly on the verge of stabilizing the situation.

By HERB KEINON
Updated: NOVEMBER 13, 2018 12:58
People stand next to a car and house damaged by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the Israeli city of Ashkelon November 13, 2018 (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
People stand next to a car and house damaged by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in the Israeli city of Ashkelon November 13, 2018
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
Israel has suspended contacts by international mediators -- Egypt and the United Nations -- to broker a ceasefire in the south, according to an Israeli official.
The comments came amid an unprecedented barrage of some 400 rockets from Gaza into Israel in 16 hours, and as the security cabinet was meeting to decide on Israel’s response to the escalation. This was contradicted, however, by a Western diplomat who reportedly said that these efforts are continuing.
Egypt and UN Mideast Nickolay Mladenov have been involved for weeks in trying to restore quiet to Gaza and were reportedly on the verge of stabilizing the situation when an Israeli intelligence operation in Gaza went bad on Sunday, leading to the death of one Israeli official and the killing of seven Palestinians -- the immediate trigger to the current round of violence.