2014年CRI 马航MH17客机在乌克兰东部坠毁 以色列向加沙发起地面进攻（在线收听）

A Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people has gone down in eastern Ukraine near the country's border with Russia.

Initial reports are suggesting the airliner has been shot down.

It was flying at a height of around 10-thousand meters.

It's being reported US officials have confirmed the plane was taking down by a surface-to-air missile.

Authorities in Kiev are blaming separatist controling the area where the plane came down.

The rebels are pointing to the Ukranian military, claiming they don't have the equiptment to take down a flight at a height of 10-kilometers.

Flight MH 17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, with 15 crew members and 280 passengers from several different countries, half of whom are Dutch.

So far its not believed there were any Chinese nationals aboard.

The Israeli military has launched a major ground offensive in Gaza.

The ground assault follows a night of heavy bombardment from both the land, sea and air.

The Israeli Defense Force says its launched the ground assault following repeated rejections by Hamas of offers to de-escalate the situation.

Israeli helicopter gunships have been seen hovering over the northern Gaza Strip.

This is the same area where thousands of Palestinians had been warned by the IDF to stay in shelters or any protected areas.

The ground assault comes on the heels of a brief, 5-hour ceasefire observed by both sides on Thursday to allow people in the region to gather essential supplies.