10 july 2014
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Karim Hussein al-Atawneh sustained a head injury during Israeli airstrikes on Al-Zuwaida in central Gaza on Wednesday
Child fatalities in Gaza continued to rise on Thursday with four more children killed in ongoing Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli assault has seen hundreds of missiles pummel the Gaza Strip, leading to high numbers of injuries and fatalities among civilians. Eighteen children are now confirmed dead. Aseel Ibrahim Fayek al-Masri, 16, whose 14-year-old brother died in an attack on the family home in Beit Hanoun on Wednesday, died after sustaining injuries in the same incident. |
Suleiman Salim Mousa al-Astal, 17, and Mousa Mohammad Taher al-Astal, 14, were killed after being hit by a missile as they sat watching the World Cup with friends on the beach overnight on Thursday. The two boys were among eight reported fatalities after an Israeli aircraft bombed the crowd of people watching the football game.
Abdullah Ramadan Jamil Abu Ghazal, 4, was with his mother in their home when he was hit by shrapnel fragments from an Israeli missile that exploded nearby. Abdullah died instantly when he sustained head injuries.
UPDATE: 14 children killed in Israeli airstrikes over Gaza
Ramallah, July 10, 2014--A further seven children, including four toddlers, died on Wednesday in Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Fourteen children have now been killed since Israel launched a major military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The children were all aged between 1 and 15 years old.
Israeli airstrikes hit hundreds of targets across the Gaza Strip throughout Wednesday. In the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Mohammad Ibrahim Fayeq al-Masri, 14, died when his family home was targeted by the Israeli air force.
In Gaza City, two brothers, Mohammad Iyad Salem Areef, 9, and Amir, 11, were killed while playing in front of their home when a bomb hit Al-Shujaiyah neighborhood where they lived. Both died instantly of their wounds. In the Zeitoun neighborhood, a bomb killed Mohammad Fakher Mustafa Jamal Malaka, 3, and his mother.
A further two brothers from Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza died when their home was hit by an Israeli missile. Mohammad Khalaf Odeh al-Nawasra was just 1, and his brother Nidal only 3.
A 1-year-old girl, Ranim Jawdat Abdul-Karim Abdul-Ghafoor, died when a missile hit her home in a crowded residential area in Al-Qarara. She was killed immediately after sustaining a head injury.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had targeted hundreds of sites in Gaza and killed three Islamic Jihad militants. "We aimed at 322 targets in Gaza overnight, taking to 750 the total number of Hamas targets hit by the army since the start of Operation Protective Edge," Lt Col Peter Lerner told reporters.
The Israeli air force has stated that deaths of children and civilians are not intentional, but claims that nothing can be done to prevent them. Speaking of one incident on Tuesday in which five children from the same family died, an officer said that children could be seen entering the house as it was being bombed.
“There was nothing to be done, the munition was in the air and could not be diverted,” a senior air force officer said. “Although you see [the family members] running back into the house, there was no way to divert the missile.”
DCI-Palestine is investigating the reported deaths of at least three other children in strikes on Wednesday.
Seven children killed in Israeli airstrikes over Gaza
Ramallah, July 9, 2014--Israel launched a major military offensive on the Gaza Strip Tuesday that killed at least seven Palestinian children and wounded dozens more in air and sea strikes.
Israeli forces killed six children when a missile struck the home of alleged Hamas activist Odeh Ahmad Mohammad Kaware in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The five families that reside in the building evacuated immediately after an Israeli aerial drone fired a warning missile. A number of neighbors, however, gathered on the roof in an effort to prevent the bombing. Shortly after 3 p.m., an Israeli airstrike leveled the building, and killed seven people, including five children, on the spot and injured 28 others.
Hussein Yousef Hussein Karawe, 13, Basem Salem Hussein Karawe, 10, Mohammad Ali Faraj Karawe, 12, Abdullah Hamed Karawe, 6, and Kasem Jaber Adwan Karawe, 12, died immediately, according to evidence collected by Defense for Children International-Palestine. Seraj Abed al-Aal, 8, succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
DCI-Palestine confirmed one other Palestinian teenager died in strikes across Gaza. An Israeli attack killed Ahmad Nael Mahdi, 15, from Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, and wounded two of his friends, one of which remains in critical condition.
DCI-Palestine is confirming reports of at least three other children killed in the strikes on Tuesday.
“The death and injury to children caused by Israel’s military offensive on Gaza demonstrates serious and extensive disregard of fundamental principles of international law,” said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine. “Israeli forces must not carry out indiscriminate airstrikes in densely populated areas that fail to distinguish between military targets, civilians and civilian objects.”
Since the beginning of Israel’s ongoing military offensive on Gaza, Operation Protective Edge, Israeli forces have launched at least 146 strikes on Gaza. The strikes have killed at least 25 Palestinians and injured more than 100 others, according to news reports.
International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and requires that all parties to an armed conflict distinguish between military targets, civilians and civilian objects. Israel as the occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the Gaza Strip, is required to protect the Palestinian civilian population from violence.
While Israel relies on the principle of self defense to justify military offensives on Gaza, Israeli forces are bound to customary international law rules of proportionality and necessity.
Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for firing around 120 rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel, with some reaching Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, according to Haaretz. Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile system has reportedly intercepted at least 23 rockets. While minimal property damage has been reported, there have been no serious casualties.
The Israeli military has mobilized thousands of reserve soldiers in preparation for any further escalation, according to news reports.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007 by strictly controlling and limiting the entry and exit of individuals; maintaining harsh restrictions on imports including food, construction materials, fuel and other essential items; as well as prohibiting exports. Israel continues to maintain complete control over the Gaza Strip’s borders, airspace and territorial waters.
The last major Israeli military offensive on Gaza, Operation Pillar of Defense, occurred between November 14 and 21, 2012. During those eight days more than 30 Palestinian children died in Israeli military attacks.
Previously, Israeli forces launched a three-week intensive aerial and naval bombing campaign and ground invasion in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Cast Lead, on December 27, 2008. At least 353 children were killed and a further 860 injured during the military offensive.
Both Israeli military offensives were characterized by disproportionate force directed at government and civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, and individual civilians. The stated objective of each operation was to end rocket attacks into Israel by Palestinian armed groups.
CORRECTION: The article originally listed the death of Ahmad Mousa Habib, 16. This was removed from the alert when it was found that he was not under 18 years old.
Abdullah Ramadan Jamil Abu Ghazal, 4, was with his mother in their home when he was hit by shrapnel fragments from an Israeli missile that exploded nearby. Abdullah died instantly when he sustained head injuries.
UPDATE: 14 children killed in Israeli airstrikes over Gaza
Ramallah, July 10, 2014--A further seven children, including four toddlers, died on Wednesday in Israeli air strikes on Gaza. Fourteen children have now been killed since Israel launched a major military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday. The children were all aged between 1 and 15 years old.
Israeli airstrikes hit hundreds of targets across the Gaza Strip throughout Wednesday. In the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Mohammad Ibrahim Fayeq al-Masri, 14, died when his family home was targeted by the Israeli air force.
In Gaza City, two brothers, Mohammad Iyad Salem Areef, 9, and Amir, 11, were killed while playing in front of their home when a bomb hit Al-Shujaiyah neighborhood where they lived. Both died instantly of their wounds. In the Zeitoun neighborhood, a bomb killed Mohammad Fakher Mustafa Jamal Malaka, 3, and his mother.
A further two brothers from Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza died when their home was hit by an Israeli missile. Mohammad Khalaf Odeh al-Nawasra was just 1, and his brother Nidal only 3.
A 1-year-old girl, Ranim Jawdat Abdul-Karim Abdul-Ghafoor, died when a missile hit her home in a crowded residential area in Al-Qarara. She was killed immediately after sustaining a head injury.
The Israeli military said in a statement that it had targeted hundreds of sites in Gaza and killed three Islamic Jihad militants. "We aimed at 322 targets in Gaza overnight, taking to 750 the total number of Hamas targets hit by the army since the start of Operation Protective Edge," Lt Col Peter Lerner told reporters.
The Israeli air force has stated that deaths of children and civilians are not intentional, but claims that nothing can be done to prevent them. Speaking of one incident on Tuesday in which five children from the same family died, an officer said that children could be seen entering the house as it was being bombed.
“There was nothing to be done, the munition was in the air and could not be diverted,” a senior air force officer said. “Although you see [the family members] running back into the house, there was no way to divert the missile.”
DCI-Palestine is investigating the reported deaths of at least three other children in strikes on Wednesday.
Seven children killed in Israeli airstrikes over Gaza
Ramallah, July 9, 2014--Israel launched a major military offensive on the Gaza Strip Tuesday that killed at least seven Palestinian children and wounded dozens more in air and sea strikes.
Israeli forces killed six children when a missile struck the home of alleged Hamas activist Odeh Ahmad Mohammad Kaware in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The five families that reside in the building evacuated immediately after an Israeli aerial drone fired a warning missile. A number of neighbors, however, gathered on the roof in an effort to prevent the bombing. Shortly after 3 p.m., an Israeli airstrike leveled the building, and killed seven people, including five children, on the spot and injured 28 others.
Hussein Yousef Hussein Karawe, 13, Basem Salem Hussein Karawe, 10, Mohammad Ali Faraj Karawe, 12, Abdullah Hamed Karawe, 6, and Kasem Jaber Adwan Karawe, 12, died immediately, according to evidence collected by Defense for Children International-Palestine. Seraj Abed al-Aal, 8, succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
DCI-Palestine confirmed one other Palestinian teenager died in strikes across Gaza. An Israeli attack killed Ahmad Nael Mahdi, 15, from Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, and wounded two of his friends, one of which remains in critical condition.
DCI-Palestine is confirming reports of at least three other children killed in the strikes on Tuesday.
“The death and injury to children caused by Israel’s military offensive on Gaza demonstrates serious and extensive disregard of fundamental principles of international law,” said Rifat Kassis, executive director of DCI-Palestine. “Israeli forces must not carry out indiscriminate airstrikes in densely populated areas that fail to distinguish between military targets, civilians and civilian objects.”
Since the beginning of Israel’s ongoing military offensive on Gaza, Operation Protective Edge, Israeli forces have launched at least 146 strikes on Gaza. The strikes have killed at least 25 Palestinians and injured more than 100 others, according to news reports.
International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and requires that all parties to an armed conflict distinguish between military targets, civilians and civilian objects. Israel as the occupying power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the Gaza Strip, is required to protect the Palestinian civilian population from violence.
While Israel relies on the principle of self defense to justify military offensives on Gaza, Israeli forces are bound to customary international law rules of proportionality and necessity.
Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for firing around 120 rockets from Gaza into southern and central Israel, with some reaching Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, according to Haaretz. Israel’s “Iron Dome” anti-missile system has reportedly intercepted at least 23 rockets. While minimal property damage has been reported, there have been no serious casualties.
The Israeli military has mobilized thousands of reserve soldiers in preparation for any further escalation, according to news reports.
Israel has imposed a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007 by strictly controlling and limiting the entry and exit of individuals; maintaining harsh restrictions on imports including food, construction materials, fuel and other essential items; as well as prohibiting exports. Israel continues to maintain complete control over the Gaza Strip’s borders, airspace and territorial waters.
The last major Israeli military offensive on Gaza, Operation Pillar of Defense, occurred between November 14 and 21, 2012. During those eight days more than 30 Palestinian children died in Israeli military attacks.
Previously, Israeli forces launched a three-week intensive aerial and naval bombing campaign and ground invasion in the Gaza Strip, dubbed Operation Cast Lead, on December 27, 2008. At least 353 children were killed and a further 860 injured during the military offensive.
Both Israeli military offensives were characterized by disproportionate force directed at government and civilian infrastructure, residential neighborhoods, and individual civilians. The stated objective of each operation was to end rocket attacks into Israel by Palestinian armed groups.
CORRECTION: The article originally listed the death of Ahmad Mousa Habib, 16. This was removed from the alert when it was found that he was not under 18 years old.
An Israeli government spokesman has declined to confirm plans to launch a ground operation in the embattled Gaza Strip, saying merely that Israel's cabinet would decide the issue.
"I can't say anything about whether there will be a ground operation in Gaza. The Israeli cabinet will decide on that," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigar Palmor told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
For the last three days, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip as part of a major military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – with the stated aim of ending rocket fire from Gaza.
At least 86 Gazans have been killed and hundreds injured – mostly civilians – since the operation began, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – causing no casualties thus far – in response to the unrelenting airstrikes.
On Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet called up 40,000 army reservists in advance of a possible ground assault.
Palmor claimed that Palestinian resistance faction Hamas had refused third-party mediation aimed at hammering out a ceasefire agreement.
"It is understood that Hamas refused those efforts. As far as I know, there is no diplomatic initiation at the moment," Palmor told AA.
The recent military escalation follows the disappearance and death of three Jewish settlers in the West Bank last month and the subsequent murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in a suspected "revenge" attack by Jewish extremists.
"I can't say anything about whether there will be a ground operation in Gaza. The Israeli cabinet will decide on that," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigar Palmor told Anadolu Agency on Thursday.
For the last three days, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip as part of a major military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – with the stated aim of ending rocket fire from Gaza.
At least 86 Gazans have been killed and hundreds injured – mostly civilians – since the operation began, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – causing no casualties thus far – in response to the unrelenting airstrikes.
On Tuesday, Israel's security cabinet called up 40,000 army reservists in advance of a possible ground assault.
Palmor claimed that Palestinian resistance faction Hamas had refused third-party mediation aimed at hammering out a ceasefire agreement.
"It is understood that Hamas refused those efforts. As far as I know, there is no diplomatic initiation at the moment," Palmor told AA.
The recent military escalation follows the disappearance and death of three Jewish settlers in the West Bank last month and the subsequent murder of a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in a suspected "revenge" attack by Jewish extremists.
An ongoing Israeli air offensive against the Gaza Strip has completely destroyed 190 housing units in the embattled coastal enclave and damaged hundreds of others, a Palestinian cabinet minister said Thursday.
"Some 190 housing units have been destroyed and 6300 others partially damaged by Israel's military operation in Gaza," Public Works Minister Mufeed al-Hassayna told Anadolu Agency.
For the last three days, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip as part of a military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – with the stated aim of ending rocket fire from Gaza.
At least 86 Gazans, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds injured since the operation began Monday night, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – with no casualties reported thus far – in response to the unrelenting airstrikes.
"Some 190 housing units have been destroyed and 6300 others partially damaged by Israel's military operation in Gaza," Public Works Minister Mufeed al-Hassayna told Anadolu Agency.
For the last three days, Israeli warplanes have pounded the Gaza Strip as part of a military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – with the stated aim of ending rocket fire from Gaza.
At least 86 Gazans, mostly civilians, have been killed and hundreds injured since the operation began Monday night, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets into Israel – with no casualties reported thus far – in response to the unrelenting airstrikes.
Israel dramatically escalated its aerial assault targeting hundreds of Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip Thursday as Palestinians reported the strikes also hit a home and a beachside cafe, raising the total number of people killed in this week's offensive to at least 85. Israel's missile defense system also once again intercepted rockets fired by Gaza militants at the country's two largest cities, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.The Israeli military said it had struck a total of some 500 targets throughout the day, focusing on underground tunnel networks and rocket launching sites.
In all, the military said it has hit some 860 sites since the operation started Tuesday.
Gaza militants fired more than 140 rockets at major Israeli residential areas Thursday, Israel's military said. Rockets fired at southern Israel damaged homes, infrastructure and spread panic. Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as sirens wailed in major cities. About 5 million Israelis are in range of the Palestinian rocket attacks. No Israelis have been killed.
A rocket hit a car in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod Thursday night engulfing it in flames. Israel's emergency services said nobody was injured in the attack, reversing an earlier statement in which it said a man was hurt.
Israel has mobilized 20,000 reservists for a possible ground operation into Gaza, but for the time remains focused on maximizing its air campaign, said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman. A ground invasion could lead to heavier civilian casualties on the Palestinian side and put Israeli ground forces in danger.
Neither side is showing any sign of halting their heaviest fighting since an eight-day battle in late 2012. Israel says that Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza for Israel to consider a truce. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets, striking across the length of Israel and disrupting life across the country.
"The ground option needs to be the last option and only if it is absolutely necessary. It is a carefully designed plan of action," Lerner said.
The "Iron Dome" defense system has intercepted at least 70 of the projectiles destined for major cities. The system is designed to intercept rockets headed toward populated areas, while allowing others to fall in open areas.
The limitations of the Iron Dome were seen late Thursday when a heavy barrage of Palestinian rockets hit the major southern city of Beersheba and other areas severely damaging homes.
As Israel pressed forward, the U.N. Security Council met in New York to discuss the situation. Addressing the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the rocket fire out of Gaza, while also calling Israel's offensive "intolerable."
"Once again civilians are paying the price for the continuation of conflict," he said. "My paramount concern is the safety and well-being of all civilians, no matter where they are."
Israel's U.N. ambassador, Ron Prosor, pulled out a cellphone during the meeting and played a recording of an air-raid siren as he described the difficult circumstances of people living within rocket range. His Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Mansour, decried the Israeli "barrage of death, destruction and terror."
The Israeli security Cabinet met to discuss its next moves.
Secretary of State John Kerry, in Beijing for a summit with Chinese leaders, said the U.S. is trying to stem the surging violence in a way that allows the Jewish state to continue defending itself from Hamas rocket fire. He called it a "dangerous moment" for the Mideast.
Kerry said he has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the operation was going according to plan, with Israel targeting various Hamas interests.
"The military's successes so far have been very significant," he said. "We will continue until they understand that this escalation is not beneficial to them and that we will not tolerate rocket fire toward our towns and citizens."
Palestinian medical officials said one strike early Thursday struck a home in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killing eight members of the Al Haj family. Tractors cleared away large piles of debris from the demolished building as one man laid atop a mattress and blankets that remained.
An earlier strike killed eight people who were at a Gaza beach cafe watching the World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, Mahmoud Sawali said, adding at least two of his brothers were among the dead.
"We only ask of help from God. Here I have two brothers who are martyrs, and I'm looking for the third," he said.
The Israeli military said it was investigating both incidents. It also said it struck a car in Gaza carrying three Islamic Jihad militants involved in firing rockets. The militant group confirmed that its men were killed in the strike. Hamas officials said that the Palestinian side of its border crossing with Israel had also been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.
The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported 85 deaths, including 22 on Thursday. It says about half were women and children though the exact breakdown could not immediately be confirmed.
Israel accuses militants of deliberately endangering civilians by using homes and other civilian buildings for cover. The military has also directly targeted the offices and homes of known militants that it says are used as command centers. The military says it contacts the families first to ask civilians to evacuate before striking its targets. Many of the dead appear to be relatives of wanted militants, according to names of the dead provided by the Palestinians.
Hamas is firing rockets from "within houses and streets and neighborhoods which are populated with civilians ... exposing these civilians to retaliation and to backfire," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.
After an overnight lull, militants resumed their barrage toward central and southern Israel. Remnants of a long-range rocket fired from Gaza landed in a gas station in south Tel Aviv after being shot down by the Iron Dome.
Late Thursday, four rockets were fired at Jerusalem, setting off air raid sirens across the city. The military said two rockets were intercepted, while two fell in open areas. A plume of white smoke following the interceptors could be seen over central Jerusalem. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, but the city is also home to a large Palestinian population and key Muslim holy sites.
The longer range of the rockets fired from Gaza has disrupted life across southern and central Israel, where people have been forced to remain close to home, and kindergartens and summer camps have closed. Israeli television has been a constant news loop with updates from both sides of the border and even radio music stations were interrupting songs with news of every siren informing of incoming rockets.
"We heard the siren and we immediately entered the home shelter," said Avraham Nachum, from the southern Israeli town of Netivot. "One of the boys was in the shower. He didn't manage to step outside of the shower on time."
Besides firing toward Israel's two largest cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hamas also launched a rocket that reached the town of Zichron Yaakov, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Gaza.
Late Thursday, Israeli police said they intercepted a Palestinian car whose two occupants were trying to smuggle a bomb into Israel from the West Bank. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the men were arrested at a West Bank checkpoint, and the bomb was being dismantled.
Also Thursday, Egypt reopened its Rafah border crossing with Gaza, allowing some 150 Egyptians stranded in Gaza to return home, Egyptian security officials said.
The officials said they were allowing 17 seriously wounded Palestinians to cross for medical treatment. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said a total of some 500 injured Palestinians were expected to cross into Egypt for medical treatment.
In all, the military said it has hit some 860 sites since the operation started Tuesday.
Gaza militants fired more than 140 rockets at major Israeli residential areas Thursday, Israel's military said. Rockets fired at southern Israel damaged homes, infrastructure and spread panic. Israelis rushed to bomb shelters as sirens wailed in major cities. About 5 million Israelis are in range of the Palestinian rocket attacks. No Israelis have been killed.
A rocket hit a car in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod Thursday night engulfing it in flames. Israel's emergency services said nobody was injured in the attack, reversing an earlier statement in which it said a man was hurt.
Israel has mobilized 20,000 reservists for a possible ground operation into Gaza, but for the time remains focused on maximizing its air campaign, said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman. A ground invasion could lead to heavier civilian casualties on the Palestinian side and put Israeli ground forces in danger.
Neither side is showing any sign of halting their heaviest fighting since an eight-day battle in late 2012. Israel says that Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza for Israel to consider a truce. Militants have fired hundreds of rockets, striking across the length of Israel and disrupting life across the country.
"The ground option needs to be the last option and only if it is absolutely necessary. It is a carefully designed plan of action," Lerner said.
The "Iron Dome" defense system has intercepted at least 70 of the projectiles destined for major cities. The system is designed to intercept rockets headed toward populated areas, while allowing others to fall in open areas.
The limitations of the Iron Dome were seen late Thursday when a heavy barrage of Palestinian rockets hit the major southern city of Beersheba and other areas severely damaging homes.
As Israel pressed forward, the U.N. Security Council met in New York to discuss the situation. Addressing the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the rocket fire out of Gaza, while also calling Israel's offensive "intolerable."
"Once again civilians are paying the price for the continuation of conflict," he said. "My paramount concern is the safety and well-being of all civilians, no matter where they are."
Israel's U.N. ambassador, Ron Prosor, pulled out a cellphone during the meeting and played a recording of an air-raid siren as he described the difficult circumstances of people living within rocket range. His Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Mansour, decried the Israeli "barrage of death, destruction and terror."
The Israeli security Cabinet met to discuss its next moves.
Secretary of State John Kerry, in Beijing for a summit with Chinese leaders, said the U.S. is trying to stem the surging violence in a way that allows the Jewish state to continue defending itself from Hamas rocket fire. He called it a "dangerous moment" for the Mideast.
Kerry said he has spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the operation was going according to plan, with Israel targeting various Hamas interests.
"The military's successes so far have been very significant," he said. "We will continue until they understand that this escalation is not beneficial to them and that we will not tolerate rocket fire toward our towns and citizens."
Palestinian medical officials said one strike early Thursday struck a home in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, killing eight members of the Al Haj family. Tractors cleared away large piles of debris from the demolished building as one man laid atop a mattress and blankets that remained.
An earlier strike killed eight people who were at a Gaza beach cafe watching the World Cup semifinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands, Mahmoud Sawali said, adding at least two of his brothers were among the dead.
"We only ask of help from God. Here I have two brothers who are martyrs, and I'm looking for the third," he said.
The Israeli military said it was investigating both incidents. It also said it struck a car in Gaza carrying three Islamic Jihad militants involved in firing rockets. The militant group confirmed that its men were killed in the strike. Hamas officials said that the Palestinian side of its border crossing with Israel had also been destroyed in Israeli airstrikes.
The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported 85 deaths, including 22 on Thursday. It says about half were women and children though the exact breakdown could not immediately be confirmed.
Israel accuses militants of deliberately endangering civilians by using homes and other civilian buildings for cover. The military has also directly targeted the offices and homes of known militants that it says are used as command centers. The military says it contacts the families first to ask civilians to evacuate before striking its targets. Many of the dead appear to be relatives of wanted militants, according to names of the dead provided by the Palestinians.
Hamas is firing rockets from "within houses and streets and neighborhoods which are populated with civilians ... exposing these civilians to retaliation and to backfire," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said.
After an overnight lull, militants resumed their barrage toward central and southern Israel. Remnants of a long-range rocket fired from Gaza landed in a gas station in south Tel Aviv after being shot down by the Iron Dome.
Late Thursday, four rockets were fired at Jerusalem, setting off air raid sirens across the city. The military said two rockets were intercepted, while two fell in open areas. A plume of white smoke following the interceptors could be seen over central Jerusalem. Israel considers Jerusalem its capital, but the city is also home to a large Palestinian population and key Muslim holy sites.
The longer range of the rockets fired from Gaza has disrupted life across southern and central Israel, where people have been forced to remain close to home, and kindergartens and summer camps have closed. Israeli television has been a constant news loop with updates from both sides of the border and even radio music stations were interrupting songs with news of every siren informing of incoming rockets.
"We heard the siren and we immediately entered the home shelter," said Avraham Nachum, from the southern Israeli town of Netivot. "One of the boys was in the shower. He didn't manage to step outside of the shower on time."
Besides firing toward Israel's two largest cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hamas also launched a rocket that reached the town of Zichron Yaakov, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Gaza.
Late Thursday, Israeli police said they intercepted a Palestinian car whose two occupants were trying to smuggle a bomb into Israel from the West Bank. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the men were arrested at a West Bank checkpoint, and the bomb was being dismantled.
Also Thursday, Egypt reopened its Rafah border crossing with Gaza, allowing some 150 Egyptians stranded in Gaza to return home, Egyptian security officials said.
The officials said they were allowing 17 seriously wounded Palestinians to cross for medical treatment. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said a total of some 500 injured Palestinians were expected to cross into Egypt for medical treatment.
You find the photo's disturbing? Remember, this is what Palestinian children see almost every day
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Hospital officials say 81 people have been killed in three days of airstrikes, with no Israeli casualties reported
Israel dramatically escalated the scope of its aerial assault in Gaza on Thursday, hitting hundreds of Hamas targets as the Palestinian death toll, including many civilians, continued to rise sharply.
In two air raids, Palestinians reported at least 16 people killed in strikes that demolished two neighbouring homes – occupied by the same family – and a beachside cafe in the south of Gaza.
Palestinian hospital officials put the death toll in three days of operations at 81, claiming half those killed were women and children. There have been no reported Israeli casualties.
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner confirmed on Thursday that Israel had struck more than 320 Hamas targets overnight, bringing the total number of targets hit to more than 750 in three days.
Lerner said Israel has mobilised 20,000 reservists for a possible ground operation into Gaza, but will for the time being remain focused on maximizing its air campaign. A ground invasion is a high risk strategy that will doubtless lead to heavy Palestinian civil casualties and endanger Israeli ground troops.
Amid a rapidly mounting human cost, some in Gaza have been miraculously lucky even as their neighbours have died.
Mohammad Halabi was drinking coffee in his living room when the two missiles came. A trim and well dressed man – a salaried employee of the Palestinian Authority – said the blast took off the front of the building, knocking down another separating wall and blowing a hole through into a room where his daughters were.
"It was 1.25 am. I was in the living room drinking coffee with my wife. The three children were in the bedroom. I can't tell you if it was two missiles or three," he said, his face pale and drawn, still stunned that his family had survived a strike that killed eight of his neighbours, including four women.
The target of the strike, Yassir al-Hajj, believed to be a member of Hamas' military wing, was not at home when the attack came. The Israeli media has reported that the al-Hajj family were delivered a warning shot before the strike, but there was no warning for Halabi or his other neighbours before the bombs flew in.
Despite claims from the Israeli military that its strikes have exclusively targeted militants, health officials in Gaza say that half of those to have died so far have been women and children.
Halabi said he had spent some $25,000 on an extension to his home a year and a half ago to accommodate his brothers' family. In his living room, the armchairs are coated with a thick layer of fine grey dust; a picture, blasted off the wall, lies on the floor, its glass broken.
In Halabi's daughters' room, the narrow beds are scattered with rubble. "Praise God, we were lucky! No one was injured in the house. But now we are staying with relatives. We have no choice," he said.
Asked about his dead neighbours, the al-Hajj family, he explained: "Everyone has an affiliation here. The man who lived there was Hamas. But not a senior leader. If he was I would not have stayed living in my house. But that is no excuse for what they [Israel] did … "
In any case, it was not Yassir but his relatives who died, including two women, aged 22 and 59, and two young girls.
Almost as bloody was another attack on Khan Younis that came an hour or so earlier. A group of young men, their homes without electricity, had gone to watch the World Cup semi final between Argentina and the Netherlands at a small beach cafe – a basic place offering little more than a canopy and a generator – when they were hit with an Israeli missile.
Nothing is left of the cafe now but a pile of sand, which on Thursday evening was still being combed by mechanical diggers looking for bodies.
"There was a strike further up the beach," said Mohammad al-Aqad, 23, who had been watching television in one of the neighbouring cafes. "We heard a jet and then the missile landed. They were neighbours and friends."
"We only ask for help from God," said Mahmoud Sawali, who said he lost at least two of his brothers in the attack. "I have two brothers who are martyrs, and I'm looking for the third."
The intensification of Israeli air strikes has been met with a increase of rocket salvoes fired from Gaza into Israel – the Israeli military said 442 projectiles had been fired since Tuesday, including nearly 100 on Thursday alone. Nine Israelis have been treated for injuries, dozens more for shock.
Israeli casualties have been prevented, in part, by the interception of Palestinian rockets by the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defence system. The anti-missile system has intercepted at least 70 projectiles destined for population centres in Israel.
The wail of air raid sirens has paralysed business in southern communities and sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for shelter in Tel Aviv, the country's commercial capital, where two rockets were shot down on Thursday. Offices and shops have remained open and roads are clogged with traffic.
The rapidly rising number of Palestinian civilian casualties has prompted senior Israeli figures to defend their strategy of targeting houses in densely populated civilian neighbourhoods, where the risk of civilian deaths is high.
Yigal Palmor, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, accused Hamas of firing rockets from "within houses and streets and neighbourhoods which are populated with civilians ... exposing these civilians to retaliation and to backfire."
The Israeli military has said it will investigate both the strikes on both the al-Hajj family home and the beachside cafe, but has not offered an explanation as to why it is using missiles in densely populated neighbourhoods – a policy human rights groups have said violates international human rights law.
According to Israeli media reports, the military intends to continue attacking the homes of senior militants. "The military's successes so far have been very significant," defence minister Moshe Yaalon said on Thursday. "We will continue until they understand that this escalation is not beneficial to them and that we will not tolerate rocket fire toward our towns and citizens."
"We have long days of fighting ahead of us," he tweeted.
As the Israeli security cabinet met to discuss its next moves, the country's leadership insisted Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza in order for Israel to consider a truce. "The ground option needs to be the last option and only if it is absolutely necessary. It is a carefully designed plan of action," Lerner said.
Israel dramatically escalated the scope of its aerial assault in Gaza on Thursday, hitting hundreds of Hamas targets as the Palestinian death toll, including many civilians, continued to rise sharply.
In two air raids, Palestinians reported at least 16 people killed in strikes that demolished two neighbouring homes – occupied by the same family – and a beachside cafe in the south of Gaza.
Palestinian hospital officials put the death toll in three days of operations at 81, claiming half those killed were women and children. There have been no reported Israeli casualties.
Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Peter Lerner confirmed on Thursday that Israel had struck more than 320 Hamas targets overnight, bringing the total number of targets hit to more than 750 in three days.
Lerner said Israel has mobilised 20,000 reservists for a possible ground operation into Gaza, but will for the time being remain focused on maximizing its air campaign. A ground invasion is a high risk strategy that will doubtless lead to heavy Palestinian civil casualties and endanger Israeli ground troops.
Amid a rapidly mounting human cost, some in Gaza have been miraculously lucky even as their neighbours have died.
Mohammad Halabi was drinking coffee in his living room when the two missiles came. A trim and well dressed man – a salaried employee of the Palestinian Authority – said the blast took off the front of the building, knocking down another separating wall and blowing a hole through into a room where his daughters were.
"It was 1.25 am. I was in the living room drinking coffee with my wife. The three children were in the bedroom. I can't tell you if it was two missiles or three," he said, his face pale and drawn, still stunned that his family had survived a strike that killed eight of his neighbours, including four women.
The target of the strike, Yassir al-Hajj, believed to be a member of Hamas' military wing, was not at home when the attack came. The Israeli media has reported that the al-Hajj family were delivered a warning shot before the strike, but there was no warning for Halabi or his other neighbours before the bombs flew in.
Despite claims from the Israeli military that its strikes have exclusively targeted militants, health officials in Gaza say that half of those to have died so far have been women and children.
Halabi said he had spent some $25,000 on an extension to his home a year and a half ago to accommodate his brothers' family. In his living room, the armchairs are coated with a thick layer of fine grey dust; a picture, blasted off the wall, lies on the floor, its glass broken.
In Halabi's daughters' room, the narrow beds are scattered with rubble. "Praise God, we were lucky! No one was injured in the house. But now we are staying with relatives. We have no choice," he said.
Asked about his dead neighbours, the al-Hajj family, he explained: "Everyone has an affiliation here. The man who lived there was Hamas. But not a senior leader. If he was I would not have stayed living in my house. But that is no excuse for what they [Israel] did … "
In any case, it was not Yassir but his relatives who died, including two women, aged 22 and 59, and two young girls.
Almost as bloody was another attack on Khan Younis that came an hour or so earlier. A group of young men, their homes without electricity, had gone to watch the World Cup semi final between Argentina and the Netherlands at a small beach cafe – a basic place offering little more than a canopy and a generator – when they were hit with an Israeli missile.
Nothing is left of the cafe now but a pile of sand, which on Thursday evening was still being combed by mechanical diggers looking for bodies.
"There was a strike further up the beach," said Mohammad al-Aqad, 23, who had been watching television in one of the neighbouring cafes. "We heard a jet and then the missile landed. They were neighbours and friends."
"We only ask for help from God," said Mahmoud Sawali, who said he lost at least two of his brothers in the attack. "I have two brothers who are martyrs, and I'm looking for the third."
The intensification of Israeli air strikes has been met with a increase of rocket salvoes fired from Gaza into Israel – the Israeli military said 442 projectiles had been fired since Tuesday, including nearly 100 on Thursday alone. Nine Israelis have been treated for injuries, dozens more for shock.
Israeli casualties have been prevented, in part, by the interception of Palestinian rockets by the US-funded Iron Dome aerial defence system. The anti-missile system has intercepted at least 70 projectiles destined for population centres in Israel.
The wail of air raid sirens has paralysed business in southern communities and sent hundreds of thousands of people scrambling for shelter in Tel Aviv, the country's commercial capital, where two rockets were shot down on Thursday. Offices and shops have remained open and roads are clogged with traffic.
The rapidly rising number of Palestinian civilian casualties has prompted senior Israeli figures to defend their strategy of targeting houses in densely populated civilian neighbourhoods, where the risk of civilian deaths is high.
Yigal Palmor, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, accused Hamas of firing rockets from "within houses and streets and neighbourhoods which are populated with civilians ... exposing these civilians to retaliation and to backfire."
The Israeli military has said it will investigate both the strikes on both the al-Hajj family home and the beachside cafe, but has not offered an explanation as to why it is using missiles in densely populated neighbourhoods – a policy human rights groups have said violates international human rights law.
According to Israeli media reports, the military intends to continue attacking the homes of senior militants. "The military's successes so far have been very significant," defence minister Moshe Yaalon said on Thursday. "We will continue until they understand that this escalation is not beneficial to them and that we will not tolerate rocket fire toward our towns and citizens."
"We have long days of fighting ahead of us," he tweeted.
As the Israeli security cabinet met to discuss its next moves, the country's leadership insisted Hamas must cease rocket fire from Gaza in order for Israel to consider a truce. "The ground option needs to be the last option and only if it is absolutely necessary. It is a carefully designed plan of action," Lerner said.
