Israel has rejected international pressure for an immediate, even if temporary, cease-fire five days into its offensive against Hamas militants and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Despite massive damage and a toll of nearly 400 Palestinians killed, Hamas also remains defiant, continuing to fire rockets ever deeper into Israel.
以色列拒绝国际社会立即停火的要求，甚至也拒不接受临时停火的要求。与此同时，以色列对加沙地带哈马斯激进分子及其基础设施的打击进入第五天。尽管空袭造成大范围的破坏，巴勒斯坦人死亡总数接近400人，但是哈马斯还在坚持抵抗，继续向以色列更为纵深的地带发射火箭弹。
After meeting Wednesday afternoon, Israeli cabinet ministers decided against a French proposal for a 48-hour cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid to reach Gaza.
以色列内阁部长星期三下午开会之后决定，不接受法国提出的停火48小时、以便人道援助物资进入加沙的建议。
Deputy Foreign Ministry spokesman Yariv Ovadia tells VOA, the ministers studied several informal proposals and decided there was no one to talk to on the other side.
以色列外交部副发言人亚里夫·奥瓦迪亚对美国之音记者说，内阁部长们研究了几项非正式提议后，决定以色列不可能跟对方的任何人进行会谈。
"We haven't heard anything from Hamas," Ovadia said. "On the contrary, what we've heard from Hamas was that they're going to keep firing missiles on Israeli cities and trying to kill Israeli civilians. Hamas started this atrocity and doesn't want to end it."
奥瓦迪亚说：“我们还没有听到来自哈马斯的任何停火的表态。相反，我们从哈马斯得到的信息是他们将继续向以色列城市发射火箭弹，设法杀害以色列平民。哈马斯挑起了这场暴行，而且不想罢手。”
Israel has said it would allow a further 2,000 tons of food and medical supplies into Gaza. It has also given authorization for several dozen ill and wounded Gazans to seek medical treatment in Israel.
以色列曾经表示，会允许再向加沙运送2千吨食品和医疗物资。以色列还批准几十名加沙的伤病人员到以色列寻求救治。
But for now, despite growing international pressure for a cease-fire, Israeli officials say they will press their offensive and they insist any cease-fire must ensure that militant rocket attacks against Israel stop.
但是在目前，尽管国际社会不断要求以色列停火，而以色列官员却表示，他们会加强打击行动，并坚持认为任何停火都必须以激进分子停止火箭弹袭击为担保。
Israeli war planes carried out further bombing runs in Gaza Wednesday, hitting Hamas government offices and underground tunnels on the Gaza-Egypt border. And, Israel continues to amass ground troops around Gaza in preparation for a possible ground offensive.
以色列战机星期三继续轰炸加沙，击中哈马斯几处办公大楼和加沙与埃及边界的地下通道。另外，以色列继续在加沙周边地区集结地面部队，为可能发动地面进攻做准备。
But, despite massive damages and rising casualties, Hamas too is maintaining a tough line.
不过，尽管以色列空袭造成了重大破坏、伤亡人数不断上升，哈马斯继续坚持强硬立场。
In parts of Israel the sound of sirens has become a daily occurrence - the warning sounds of incoming Hamas rockets, striking ever deeper into Israel, including Beersheba in the Negev, over 40 kilometers southeast of Gaza.
在以色列部分地区，警报声几乎成为家常便饭，听到警报声响，人们就知道哈马斯的火箭弹打过来了。火箭弹的射程越来越深入以色列境内，火箭一直可以打到加沙东南方向40多公里开外的地方，包括内盖夫的贝尔谢巴。
And, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum makes it clear the group is not begging for a truce.
哈马斯发言人巴荷姆也明确表示，哈马斯不会祈求停火。
Barhoum said what's needed immediately is for the Arab and Islamic countries to unite and stop this aggression, lift the siege, open the crossings and rebuild Gaza.
巴荷姆说，眼下需要的是阿拉伯和伊斯兰世界团结起来，制止这场侵略，解除围困，开放过境点，重建加沙。
The militants have kept up their rocket attacks, hitting ever deeper into Israel. Rockets have hit not only town near Gaza, such as Sderot and Ashkelon, but also Ashdod to the north of Gaza and Beersheba to the southeast.
激进分子一直没有间断向以色列发射火箭弹，其火箭弹越来越向纵深地带发射，不仅击中斯德洛特、阿希科伦等加沙附近的城镇，而且加沙以北的阿什杜德和东南方的贝尔谢巴也成为哈马斯火箭弹光顾的地方。
As the violence continues, so do diplomatic efforts to stop it. Arab League foreign ministers met in Cairo to discuss the crisis. Turkey's Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on a foray to Syria and Jordan Wednesday and is also due to visit Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is expected to hold talks in Paris Thursday and French President Nicolas Sarkozy may visit Israel early next week.
在暴力继续的同时，外交人士也在加紧努力制止目前的暴力局面。阿拉伯联盟成员国外长在开罗开会讨论目前的危机。土耳其总理埃尔多安星期三短暂访问叙利亚和约旦，他还计划访问埃及和沙特阿拉伯。以色列外长利夫尼预计星期四在巴黎举行会谈，而法国总统萨科齐可能于下星期初访问以色列。 |