Hamas’ armed wing announced that it would commit to a truce if Israel stops bombarding the Gaza Strip. However, the al-Qassam Brigades vowed to retaliate if Israel continues to attack the besieged enclave.
Tanks were deployed in the Yemeni capital, surrounding the presidential palace and defense ministry, as top generals and tribal leaders pledged allegiance to the “revolution” against President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Tripoli announced a new ceasefire in the face of Western air-strikes—but government attacks on rebel-held Misurata continued. The regime claimed civilian casualties from the strikes, while rebels accused the regime of atrocities.
Yemen declared a state of emergency as Syrian security forces again fired on demonstrators, killing at least one. Thousands meanwhile marched for democratic reform in Casablanca, Rabat and other cities across Morocco.
The Arab League protested the “shelling of civilians” by Allied forces in Libya as International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo warned Tripoli officials of war crimes prosecution.
US and British warships launched more than 110 Tomahawk missiles at targets along the Libyan coast. Leading House Democrats called for President Barack Obama to seek congressional approval for the military action.
France has launched military strikes on Libyan tanks advancing on rebel-held Benghazi, just as Qaddafi’s planes carried out their first air-strikes on the city, sending thousands of residents fleeing to the east.
The shelling of a market in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, which killed at least 25 people and wounded 40, may be a crime against humanity, the UN says. Laurent Gbagbo denied responsibility and urged his people to “fight the rebels.”
At least five were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in the Syrian city of Deraa. Protests are also reported from Homs and Baniyas, and security forces reportedly broke up a demonstration in Damascus.
Japan has raised the alert level at the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant from four to five on the seven-point scale, due to containment core damage at reactors 2 and 3. Dangerous radiation levels have been noted 30 kilometers away.
The Libyan government announced an immediate ceasefire in its offensive against rebels in the country’s east, as a coalition of Western and Arab nations prepares for air-strikes as authorized by the UN Security Council.
A massacre is reported from Yemen, as armed regime loyalists opened fire on protesters in a square they have been occupying at Sanaa University, killing at least 32 and leaving some 200 wounded.
