GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli planes renewed air strikes in Gaza early on Saturday and Hamas militants responded by firing rockets into Israel as their battle entered a fifth night and U.S. and Arab diplomats sought an end to the violence.

GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 15 (Reuters) - Israeli planes renewed air strikes in Gaza early on Saturday and Hamas militants responded by firing rockets into Israel as their battle entered a fifth night and U.S. and Arab diplomats sought an end to the violence.

CAIRO (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialogue, state news agency WAM reported.

May 14 (Reuters) - S&P:

CAIRO, May 14 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates foreign minister on Friday voiced his country's concern over the escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence and called for a ceasefire and the start of a diplomatic dialog, state news agency WAM reported.

May 14 (Reuters) - Global ratings agency S&P on Friday affirmed its long-term sovereign credit rating on Israel at "AA-/A-1+" and maintained its outlook at "stable."

May 14 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday Britain would accelerate its COVID-19 vaccination program, to try to contain a fast-spreading variant first identified in India that could knock a re-opening of the economy off track.

GAZA/JERUSALEM, May 14 (Reuters) - As the war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip lit up the skies and sent civilians running for cover for a fifth night running on Friday, diplomats stepped up efforts to try and end the violence.

MOSCOW/BAKU, May 14 (Reuters) - Armenia said on Friday that Azerbaijan had failed to fulfill a promise in full to withdraw troops that had crossed the border in a disputed incident, and that it had sought Russia's military help.