Diplomacy Intensifies To Halt Israel-Hamas War

JERUSALEM (AP) — International diplomacy to prevent the war in Gaza from spreading into a wider regional conflict is intensifying. The British and French foreign ministers are making a joint trip to Israel on Friday to push for peace. Meanwhile, internationally mediated cease-fire talks in Qatar were expected to enter their second day. The new push for an end to the Israel-Hamas war came as Gaza health authorities say the Palestinian death toll in Gaza climbed past 40,000. And fears are still high that Iran and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon would attack Israel in retaliation for the killings of top militant leaders. United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy said before his visit that the conflict risked erupting across the region.