Several killed in West Bank

In Friday's first incident, troops killed three men at a demonstration in the village of Beit Ummar, Palestinian security sources announced. In the second incident, a group of settlers opened fire on a group of protesters who threw stones at their car near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, killing an 18-year-old man. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) then killed a second Palestinian man at the scene.

An IDF spokeswoman had no comment on the incident in Beit Ummar, but acknowledged "confrontations" between troops and Palestinians near Nablus "in which settlers were involved," without giving further details. The IDF also shot and wounded two protesters and a local journalist approaching a military checkpoint near a settlement beside the city of Ramallah.

Meanwhile, the bloodshed continued on Friday in Gaza, where officials said that more than a dozen people had been killed in IDF strikes, bringing the number of Palestinian dead in the past 18 days to more than 800, with 5,200 wounded.

Militant groups continue to fire projectiles at Israel, with the IDF reporting on Twitter that the Iron Dome missile defense system had "intercepted three rockets over the Ashkelon area" on Friday. The IDF has reported that 32 soldiers have been killed in what began as an air offensive on July 8 but expanded last week to a ground assault in Gaza. Rocket fire from Gaza has killed three civilians within Israel.

On Thursday, with no signs of an end to the conflict, the United Nations highlighted the vulnerability of both Israeli and Palestinian children.

The elusive ceasefire

Israeli media reported on Friday that the latest version of a ceasefire proposal would see both sides lay down their arms for a period of several days while holding further talks. However, the reports suggest the proposal would allow Israel to continue destroying tunnels used by militants to attack Israel.

There was no indication that Hamas, the Palestinian faction in charge of the Gaza Strip, would agree to that or any other part of the proposal. The Palestinian militant group is demanding that Israel lift a seven-year-old blockade of Gaza in return for halting rocket fire. There was also no indication that Israel was prepared to move on this issue.

Officials said US Secretary of State John Kerry would hold a news conference later on Friday to update reporters on what progress, if any, had been made in talks towards a ceasefire. Israel's Security Cabinet was also to meet on Friday to consider whether to step up operations or consider accepting a truce.

Friday was also Quds Day, which saw protests against Israel's occupation of Jerusalem worldwide, including in Berlin.

mkg/tj (Reuters, AFP, AP)