5 aug 2014
Palestinian lawmaker Issa Qaraqea said the Israeli occupation forces kidnapped about 300 Palestinians from Gaza and carried out mass executions against others during its military operation. In a press release on Monday, Qaraqea affirmed that the detainees could have been held in a camp outside Gaza borders.
The lawmaker also said that the Israeli army, during its invasion of populated areas, carried out field executions against citizens after they were taken prisoners and others as they were raising their hands to show they were unarmed.
He called on the Red Cross to immediately move to uncover the fate of those prisoners and their incarceration conditions.
For its part, the Palestinian prisoner society appealed to the Red Cross and all concerned parties to necessarily intervene to obtain information about the Palestinian citizens who were captured during Israel's military operation in Gaza.
Director of the society Qaddoura Fares said there is still no accurate information about the number of these Palestinian detainees and their whereabouts, adding that there are growing fears that some of them might have been executed by Israeli soldiers.
He stressed the need to pressure Israel to reveal the fate of those prisoners as soon as possible.
The lawmaker also said that the Israeli army, during its invasion of populated areas, carried out field executions against citizens after they were taken prisoners and others as they were raising their hands to show they were unarmed.
He called on the Red Cross to immediately move to uncover the fate of those prisoners and their incarceration conditions.
For its part, the Palestinian prisoner society appealed to the Red Cross and all concerned parties to necessarily intervene to obtain information about the Palestinian citizens who were captured during Israel's military operation in Gaza.
Director of the society Qaddoura Fares said there is still no accurate information about the number of these Palestinian detainees and their whereabouts, adding that there are growing fears that some of them might have been executed by Israeli soldiers.
He stressed the need to pressure Israel to reveal the fate of those prisoners as soon as possible.
Three remaining members of a Palestinian delegation negotiating a longer-term truce in Gaza were on their way to Cairo Tuesday after entering Egypt through the Rafah crossing, state media reported.
Israel and Hamas halted their fighting in Gaza from 8 a.m. Tuesday after a three-day temporary truce brokered by Cairo went into effect.
Israel also withdrew its troops from the coastal enclave.
The three Palestinian leaders who entered Egypt were Islamic Jihad member, Khaled al-Batsh, and senior Hamas officials Khalil al-Haya and Emad El-Elmy, said the official MENA news agency.
A joint Palestinian delegation representing president Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad has been in Cairo for the past few days at Egypt's invitation.
Israel earlier refused to send its negotiators, but an official said Tuesday that a team representing it was on its way to Cairo.
The main demands proposed to Egyptian mediators by the Palestinian delegation are a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the end of the siege of the enclave, and opening its border crossings.
They have also demanded fishing rights up to 12 nautical miles off Gaza's coast and the release of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas and Abbas.
Egyptian mediators are to forward these demands to the Israelis.
Israel's assault on Gaza has killed over 1,800 Palestinians and injured at least 9,000. Gaza's deputy economy minister Taysir Amro said Tuesday that the assault has caused at least $4-6 billion in damages.
Sixty-four Israeli soldiers have been killed and three Israeli civilians.
The majority of those killed in Gaza are civilians, according to UN agencies.
Israel and Hamas halted their fighting in Gaza from 8 a.m. Tuesday after a three-day temporary truce brokered by Cairo went into effect.
Israel also withdrew its troops from the coastal enclave.
The three Palestinian leaders who entered Egypt were Islamic Jihad member, Khaled al-Batsh, and senior Hamas officials Khalil al-Haya and Emad El-Elmy, said the official MENA news agency.
A joint Palestinian delegation representing president Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Islamic Jihad has been in Cairo for the past few days at Egypt's invitation.
Israel earlier refused to send its negotiators, but an official said Tuesday that a team representing it was on its way to Cairo.
The main demands proposed to Egyptian mediators by the Palestinian delegation are a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the end of the siege of the enclave, and opening its border crossings.
They have also demanded fishing rights up to 12 nautical miles off Gaza's coast and the release of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas and Abbas.
Egyptian mediators are to forward these demands to the Israelis.
Israel's assault on Gaza has killed over 1,800 Palestinians and injured at least 9,000. Gaza's deputy economy minister Taysir Amro said Tuesday that the assault has caused at least $4-6 billion in damages.
Sixty-four Israeli soldiers have been killed and three Israeli civilians.
The majority of those killed in Gaza are civilians, according to UN agencies.
Italy is “determined” to send immediate support to the Gaza Strip, an Italian official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Marco Carnelos told the Palestinian ambassador in Italy May al-Kalia that a plane carrying 30 tons of supplies and aid will leave for Israel, from where they will be sent to Gaza.
The plane will be carrying 350,000 euros worth of tents, blankets, emergency supplies, water purifiers, food, health supplies and hygiene kits.
Carnelos added that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lapo Pistelli will deliver the supplies and aid to UNRWA via Israel.
Pistelli will arrive in Tel Aviv and “the supplies will arrive to Gaza as soon as possible,” Carnelos said.
Marco Carnelos told the Palestinian ambassador in Italy May al-Kalia that a plane carrying 30 tons of supplies and aid will leave for Israel, from where they will be sent to Gaza.
The plane will be carrying 350,000 euros worth of tents, blankets, emergency supplies, water purifiers, food, health supplies and hygiene kits.
Carnelos added that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lapo Pistelli will deliver the supplies and aid to UNRWA via Israel.
Pistelli will arrive in Tel Aviv and “the supplies will arrive to Gaza as soon as possible,” Carnelos said.
Head of al-Mizan human rights center Issam Younis accused UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of providing a cover for Israeli war crimes in Gaza Strip, calling on the UN to abide by its founding principles. He strongly condemned Ban Ki-moon’s continued silence over Israeli crimes, which gives a green light to Israeli forces to step up their massacres as if they were above the law and immune from prosecution.
Quds Press quoted Younis as calling on the UN Secretary-General and UN humanitarian institutions to prosecute those responsible for the ongoing war crimes in Gaza Strip. “They have to admit that they can no longer provide protection to civilians and refugees in Gaza.”
Palestinian people’s demands are fair and humanitarian mainly lifting the siege and ending the aggression, he continued, calling on the Palestinian Authority to act urgently to prosecute Israeli leaders for committing war crimes.
He called on the UN to change its strategy in dealing with events in the occupied territories and to stop blaming the victim. An executioner should not be seen as a victim or vice-versa, he continued.
“UN institutions have to break their silence and to recognize Israeli massacres as war crimes.”
Younis said that Ban Ki-moon’s latest statement concerning the alleged capture of an Israeli soldier in Rafah provides a green light to Israel to escalate its airstrikes and shelling on civilians in Rafah and throughout the Strip.
Israel has launched on July 7 a bloody aggression on Gaza that was developed later into a ground offensive. More than 1800 Palestinians were killed while thousands were injured so far, mostly children and women.
Quds Press quoted Younis as calling on the UN Secretary-General and UN humanitarian institutions to prosecute those responsible for the ongoing war crimes in Gaza Strip. “They have to admit that they can no longer provide protection to civilians and refugees in Gaza.”
Palestinian people’s demands are fair and humanitarian mainly lifting the siege and ending the aggression, he continued, calling on the Palestinian Authority to act urgently to prosecute Israeli leaders for committing war crimes.
He called on the UN to change its strategy in dealing with events in the occupied territories and to stop blaming the victim. An executioner should not be seen as a victim or vice-versa, he continued.
“UN institutions have to break their silence and to recognize Israeli massacres as war crimes.”
Younis said that Ban Ki-moon’s latest statement concerning the alleged capture of an Israeli soldier in Rafah provides a green light to Israel to escalate its airstrikes and shelling on civilians in Rafah and throughout the Strip.
Israel has launched on July 7 a bloody aggression on Gaza that was developed later into a ground offensive. More than 1800 Palestinians were killed while thousands were injured so far, mostly children and women.
Three Palestinians have succumbed to wounds sustained in the Israeli offensive on Gaza since the start of a 72-hour ceasefire Tuesday, a health ministry spokesman said.
Fayiz Ismail Abu Hammad, 34, succumbed to wounds he sustained during an Israeli shelling on Khan Younis, Ashraf al-Qidra said.
He said Salah Ahmad al-Ghouti, 22, succumbed to wounds sustained during shelling on Rafah on Monday.
And 12-year-old Nidal Raed Eleiwa also succumbed to his wounds.
The latest deaths brought the death toll of the Israeli assault on Gaza to 1,875, al-Qidra said.
Some 9,567 Palestinians have been wounded throughout the offensive.
Fayiz Ismail Abu Hammad, 34, succumbed to wounds he sustained during an Israeli shelling on Khan Younis, Ashraf al-Qidra said.
He said Salah Ahmad al-Ghouti, 22, succumbed to wounds sustained during shelling on Rafah on Monday.
And 12-year-old Nidal Raed Eleiwa also succumbed to his wounds.
The latest deaths brought the death toll of the Israeli assault on Gaza to 1,875, al-Qidra said.
Some 9,567 Palestinians have been wounded throughout the offensive.
The Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs met with officials of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands to discuss the Israeli offensive on Gaza on Tuesday, a statement said.
During his visit, Riyad al-Maliki inquired about the legal procedures necessary for Palestine to join the ICC and sign the Rome Statute in order to take action against possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the statement said.
Al-Maliki said he would consult members of the Palestinian Authority government on the matter after his visit.
A 2009 attempt by to join the ICC in 2009 failed because of Palestine's lack of statehood.
But Al-Maliki said Tuesday that Palestine should now quality for ICC membership due to its status as a UN nonmember observer state, AP reported.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its authority, but the UN Security Council could call for an ICC investigation into potential Israeli war crimes.
International human rights organizations have over the course of the 28-day offensive condemned various Israeli actions in Gaza as violations of the laws of war.
On Monday, Human Rights Watch released a report on an investigation that found that Israeli forces had targeted medical workers and fleeing civilians in Khuzaa.
An earlier HRW report that investigated Israeli airstrikes that killed civilians said that in many cases, no military target could be identified in the vicinity of the strike. The rights group was "gravely concerned" that Israel was intentional hitting civilian targets.
Israel's offensive on Gaza has left some 1,875 Palestinians dead, over 80 percent of them civilians, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
During his visit, Riyad al-Maliki inquired about the legal procedures necessary for Palestine to join the ICC and sign the Rome Statute in order to take action against possible Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the statement said.
Al-Maliki said he would consult members of the Palestinian Authority government on the matter after his visit.
A 2009 attempt by to join the ICC in 2009 failed because of Palestine's lack of statehood.
But Al-Maliki said Tuesday that Palestine should now quality for ICC membership due to its status as a UN nonmember observer state, AP reported.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its authority, but the UN Security Council could call for an ICC investigation into potential Israeli war crimes.
International human rights organizations have over the course of the 28-day offensive condemned various Israeli actions in Gaza as violations of the laws of war.
On Monday, Human Rights Watch released a report on an investigation that found that Israeli forces had targeted medical workers and fleeing civilians in Khuzaa.
An earlier HRW report that investigated Israeli airstrikes that killed civilians said that in many cases, no military target could be identified in the vicinity of the strike. The rights group was "gravely concerned" that Israel was intentional hitting civilian targets.
Israel's offensive on Gaza has left some 1,875 Palestinians dead, over 80 percent of them civilians, according to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
ATP cancels planned Israel event over conflict
The ATP Tour's planned inaugural Negev Israel Open in Tel Aviv next month will not be contested because of security concerns due to conflict in the region, officials said Monday.
Israel and Hamas have been in a major conflict since July 8 when Israel launched a military operation against rocket-firing militants in Gaza, one that has cost more than 1,800 Palestinian lives and those of 64 Israeli soldiers in and near Gaza as well as three civilians in Israel.
The tournament, moved from the Russian venue of St. Petersburg, was set to become the first ATP event in Israel since 1996.
"We regret the ATP World Tour event in Tel Aviv, Israel, will not take place this year," ATP president Chris Kermode said. "Sadly, we do not feel we can proceed as planned given the situation in the region.
"Ensuring the security of our players, fans and all those involved in organizing a world-class event, is our number one priority. We hope to be back in Tel Aviv next year.
"In the meantime, and much more importantly, we hope for a swift return to peace in the region."
Asaf Tochmeir, the Israeli Tennis Association chairman, was unhappy with the ATP's decision, according to a statement posted on the tour's website announcing the canceling of this year's event.
"We regret the ATP's decision," Tochmeir said. "We at the ITA have done everything to ensure a successful ATP event takes place in Israel. We have raised sufficient funding and have taken care of all organizational requirements.
"On this occasion, I would like to express our most heartfelt concern for the soldiers as well as our condolences for the civilian casualties. We hope to see a swift resolution to the current situation."
The ATP Tour's planned inaugural Negev Israel Open in Tel Aviv next month will not be contested because of security concerns due to conflict in the region, officials said Monday.
Israel and Hamas have been in a major conflict since July 8 when Israel launched a military operation against rocket-firing militants in Gaza, one that has cost more than 1,800 Palestinian lives and those of 64 Israeli soldiers in and near Gaza as well as three civilians in Israel.
The tournament, moved from the Russian venue of St. Petersburg, was set to become the first ATP event in Israel since 1996.
"We regret the ATP World Tour event in Tel Aviv, Israel, will not take place this year," ATP president Chris Kermode said. "Sadly, we do not feel we can proceed as planned given the situation in the region.
"Ensuring the security of our players, fans and all those involved in organizing a world-class event, is our number one priority. We hope to be back in Tel Aviv next year.
"In the meantime, and much more importantly, we hope for a swift return to peace in the region."
Asaf Tochmeir, the Israeli Tennis Association chairman, was unhappy with the ATP's decision, according to a statement posted on the tour's website announcing the canceling of this year's event.
"We regret the ATP's decision," Tochmeir said. "We at the ITA have done everything to ensure a successful ATP event takes place in Israel. We have raised sufficient funding and have taken care of all organizational requirements.
"On this occasion, I would like to express our most heartfelt concern for the soldiers as well as our condolences for the civilian casualties. We hope to see a swift resolution to the current situation."
Gaza Writes Back @ThisIsGaZa 5 minutes after ceasefire israeli artillery shell areas in middle Gaza Strip
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross was to begin a "three-day mission" to Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel Tuesday as a 72-hour ceasefire came into effect, a statement said.
The ICRC said in a statement that president Peter Maurer is traveling to the region "to see for himself the human cost of the on-going conflict."
Maurer is to hold talks with senior Palestinian leaders and Israeli leaders in addition to volunteers for the Palestine Red Crescent and Israeli Magen David Adom societies.
He will also meet with people "directly affected by the conflict."
The ICRC said in a statement that president Peter Maurer is traveling to the region "to see for himself the human cost of the on-going conflict."
Maurer is to hold talks with senior Palestinian leaders and Israeli leaders in addition to volunteers for the Palestine Red Crescent and Israeli Magen David Adom societies.
He will also meet with people "directly affected by the conflict."
A British minister resigned on Tuesday over the government's policy on Gaza.
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a minister at the Foreign Office and minister for faith and communities, wrote on Twitter: "With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza."
Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government has drawn criticism, including from the main opposition Labor party, for not taking a tougher line against Israel over its operations in Gaza.
On Monday, Cameron said the United Nations was "right" to condemn an airstrike near a school in Rafah on Sunday which killed 10 people but would not say whether he thought it was a "criminal" act.
Warsi's parents were Pakistani immigrants and she was made a member of parliament's upper House of Lords in 2007.
She was appointed to Cameron's cabinet when his coalition government took power in 2010 and while she initially had a high media profile, her star had dimmed in recent years.
She was shuffled out of the full cabinet, the powerful inner circle of government ministers, in 2012.
Labour leader Ed Miliband last week accused Cameron of "inexplicable" silence over the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
"The government needs to send a much clearer message to Israel that its actions in Gaza are unacceptable and unjustifiable," Miliband said.
"What I want to hear from David Cameron is that he believes that Israel's actions in Gaza are wrong and unjustified, and we haven't heard that from him."
Warsi's resignation drew immediate praise on Twitter from some Labour MPs.
"Very courageous of my brave friend @SayeedaWarsi to resign over this Government's inexplicable silence and total weakness on the #Gaza crisis," wrote Sadiq Khan, Labour's lead spokesman on justice.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, seen as a possible future successor to Cameron, said following Warsi's resignation that events in Gaza were "utterly horrifying and unacceptable."
"I cannot for the life of me see why this is a sensible strategy," the Conservative said on his show on London radio station LBC.
"I cannot for the life of me see the purpose of this. It is disproportionate, ugly and tragic and will not do Israel any good the long run."
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a minister at the Foreign Office and minister for faith and communities, wrote on Twitter: "With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister & tendered my resignation. I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza."
Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron's coalition government has drawn criticism, including from the main opposition Labor party, for not taking a tougher line against Israel over its operations in Gaza.
On Monday, Cameron said the United Nations was "right" to condemn an airstrike near a school in Rafah on Sunday which killed 10 people but would not say whether he thought it was a "criminal" act.
Warsi's parents were Pakistani immigrants and she was made a member of parliament's upper House of Lords in 2007.
She was appointed to Cameron's cabinet when his coalition government took power in 2010 and while she initially had a high media profile, her star had dimmed in recent years.
She was shuffled out of the full cabinet, the powerful inner circle of government ministers, in 2012.
Labour leader Ed Miliband last week accused Cameron of "inexplicable" silence over the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
"The government needs to send a much clearer message to Israel that its actions in Gaza are unacceptable and unjustifiable," Miliband said.
"What I want to hear from David Cameron is that he believes that Israel's actions in Gaza are wrong and unjustified, and we haven't heard that from him."
Warsi's resignation drew immediate praise on Twitter from some Labour MPs.
"Very courageous of my brave friend @SayeedaWarsi to resign over this Government's inexplicable silence and total weakness on the #Gaza crisis," wrote Sadiq Khan, Labour's lead spokesman on justice.
London Mayor Boris Johnson, seen as a possible future successor to Cameron, said following Warsi's resignation that events in Gaza were "utterly horrifying and unacceptable."
"I cannot for the life of me see why this is a sensible strategy," the Conservative said on his show on London radio station LBC.
"I cannot for the life of me see the purpose of this. It is disproportionate, ugly and tragic and will not do Israel any good the long run."
Palestinian medical teams rushed to areas in the eastern Gaza Strip to search for bodies and survivors on Tuesday immediately after a ceasefire went into effect at 8:00 a.m., an official said.
Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said that so far, two bodies have been recovered from rubble in Juhr al-Dik southeast of Gaza City
Rescue teams had been unable to access areas hit by Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in eastern Gaza before the ceasefire, al-Qidra said.
Except during humanitarian truces, Israeli forces rarely granted access to eastern areas, and often fired upon ambulances and civil defense crews, he added.
Locals told Ma'an several people were still missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Palestinian factions and Israel late Monday agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, with talks for a lasting truce to be held in Cairo in the coming days.
Some 1,869 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive on Gaza, while nearly 10,000 have been injured.
The vast majority of the casualties have been civilians.
Remains Of Two Palestinians Found Under Rubble In Central Gaza
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that ongoing search and rescue efforts under the rubble of bombarded homes in Gaza have led, on Tuesday morning, to uncovering the remains of two Palestinians in Central Gaza.
The Ministry said the slain Palestinians were found in Juhr Ed-Deek area, east of the Central District, as rescue teams, medics and volunteers started a wide search campaign, under the rubble of bombarded homes and buildings, after the 72-hour ceasefire started.
It added that ambulance and rescue teams managed to enter the eastern area of the Gaza Strip to search for remains of slain Palestinians, explaining that the army has earlier repeatedly targeted rescue crews.
Eyewitnesses said dozens of Palestinians are missing, most believed to be dead and buried under rubble of their homes, especially since rescue operations could not be performed when Israeli tanks were present in the area, especially under heavy Israeli bombardment.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qodra, head of the Public Relations Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, called on all media outlets to wait until the ministry releases the official list containing the names of slain Palestinians, after proper identification and notification.
Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said that so far, two bodies have been recovered from rubble in Juhr al-Dik southeast of Gaza City
Rescue teams had been unable to access areas hit by Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in eastern Gaza before the ceasefire, al-Qidra said.
Except during humanitarian truces, Israeli forces rarely granted access to eastern areas, and often fired upon ambulances and civil defense crews, he added.
Locals told Ma'an several people were still missing under the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Palestinian factions and Israel late Monday agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire, with talks for a lasting truce to be held in Cairo in the coming days.
Some 1,869 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive on Gaza, while nearly 10,000 have been injured.
The vast majority of the casualties have been civilians.
Remains Of Two Palestinians Found Under Rubble In Central Gaza
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that ongoing search and rescue efforts under the rubble of bombarded homes in Gaza have led, on Tuesday morning, to uncovering the remains of two Palestinians in Central Gaza.
The Ministry said the slain Palestinians were found in Juhr Ed-Deek area, east of the Central District, as rescue teams, medics and volunteers started a wide search campaign, under the rubble of bombarded homes and buildings, after the 72-hour ceasefire started.
It added that ambulance and rescue teams managed to enter the eastern area of the Gaza Strip to search for remains of slain Palestinians, explaining that the army has earlier repeatedly targeted rescue crews.
Eyewitnesses said dozens of Palestinians are missing, most believed to be dead and buried under rubble of their homes, especially since rescue operations could not be performed when Israeli tanks were present in the area, especially under heavy Israeli bombardment.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qodra, head of the Public Relations Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, called on all media outlets to wait until the ministry releases the official list containing the names of slain Palestinians, after proper identification and notification.
Israel faced growing international condemnation of its operation in Gaza on Monday, with France calling for action over "massacres" in the besieged Palestinian territory after a strike next to a UN school.
As Israel's operation in Gaza entered its 28th day Monday, the international community appeared to be losing patience with an offensive Palestinians say has left more than 1,800 dead.
France led the charge, after the strike on the school sheltering civilians Sunday left 10 people dead and sparked widespread outrage.
"When I see what is happening with the Christians in Iraq, the minorities in Syria, massacres every day. What is happening too in Gaza, massacres ... We have to act," President Francois Hollande said.
"Europe must be ready ... to take the initiative on the international scene and not think simply that others will do the job for them," he said on the sidelines of events in Belgium to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius issued one of the most strongly worded condemnations yet from a Western official.
"How many more deaths will it take to stop... the carnage in Gaza?" Fabius said in a statement.
"Israel's right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians," Fabius said.
The strong words from France prompted some to praise Western officials for at last taking a tougher line with Israel.
"Finally! This is very, very good. The systematic targeting of civilians and schools must be denounced," said Yves Aubin de la Messuziere, a retired French diplomat and expert on the Middle East.
"We should be brave enough to point the finger of blame, of course at Hamas but also at Israel," he said.
'Very serious' attack
The United Nations condemned Sunday's strike at the school, where around 3,000 homeless Palestinians had been sheltering, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling the attack "a moral outrage and a criminal act."
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington was also "appalled," demanding a "full and prompt" investigation into the strike -- the third time in 10 days a UN school had been hit in the fighting.
The Israeli army acknowledged targeting three Islamic Jihad militants on a motorbike in the "vicinity of an UNRWA school," saying it was investigating.
Israel declared a seven-hour unilateral truce on Monday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said its forces did not intentionally hit civilians and apologized for any harm done to them.
But outrage continued to mount.
Spain roundly criticized the strike, with the foreign ministry in a statement calling it a "very serious" attack.
"Spain reiterates its urgent call for strict respect of international humanitarian law and in particular the obligation to avoid hurting the civilian population as well as to respect the inviolability of UN sites," it added.
"Israel's armed forces should intensify their efforts to avoid the loss of innocent lives."
Iran slams 'inaction'
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the United Nations was "right" to condemn the shelling, though he declined to say whether it breached international law.
"The UN has spoken very clearly and I think they're right to speak very clearly," Cameron told the BBC.
"International law is clear that it's completely wrong and illegal to target civilians, if that's what's happened."
Israel's arch-foe Iran meanwhile denounced the "inaction" of the UN Security Council on Gaza, with President Hassan Rouhani accusing the international community of failing "to prevent the crimes against humanity of the Zionist regime."
"The savage aggression by the army of this child-killer regime (Israel), continues with a deliberate policy to commit genocide and massacre civilians and destroy infrastructure, houses, hospitals, schools and mosques," Rouhani said in Tehran.
As Israel's operation in Gaza entered its 28th day Monday, the international community appeared to be losing patience with an offensive Palestinians say has left more than 1,800 dead.
France led the charge, after the strike on the school sheltering civilians Sunday left 10 people dead and sparked widespread outrage.
"When I see what is happening with the Christians in Iraq, the minorities in Syria, massacres every day. What is happening too in Gaza, massacres ... We have to act," President Francois Hollande said.
"Europe must be ready ... to take the initiative on the international scene and not think simply that others will do the job for them," he said on the sidelines of events in Belgium to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius issued one of the most strongly worded condemnations yet from a Western official.
"How many more deaths will it take to stop... the carnage in Gaza?" Fabius said in a statement.
"Israel's right to security is total, but this right does not justify the killing of children and the slaughter of civilians," Fabius said.
The strong words from France prompted some to praise Western officials for at last taking a tougher line with Israel.
"Finally! This is very, very good. The systematic targeting of civilians and schools must be denounced," said Yves Aubin de la Messuziere, a retired French diplomat and expert on the Middle East.
"We should be brave enough to point the finger of blame, of course at Hamas but also at Israel," he said.
'Very serious' attack
The United Nations condemned Sunday's strike at the school, where around 3,000 homeless Palestinians had been sheltering, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling the attack "a moral outrage and a criminal act."
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Washington was also "appalled," demanding a "full and prompt" investigation into the strike -- the third time in 10 days a UN school had been hit in the fighting.
The Israeli army acknowledged targeting three Islamic Jihad militants on a motorbike in the "vicinity of an UNRWA school," saying it was investigating.
Israel declared a seven-hour unilateral truce on Monday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said its forces did not intentionally hit civilians and apologized for any harm done to them.
But outrage continued to mount.
Spain roundly criticized the strike, with the foreign ministry in a statement calling it a "very serious" attack.
"Spain reiterates its urgent call for strict respect of international humanitarian law and in particular the obligation to avoid hurting the civilian population as well as to respect the inviolability of UN sites," it added.
"Israel's armed forces should intensify their efforts to avoid the loss of innocent lives."
Iran slams 'inaction'
British Prime Minister David Cameron said the United Nations was "right" to condemn the shelling, though he declined to say whether it breached international law.
"The UN has spoken very clearly and I think they're right to speak very clearly," Cameron told the BBC.
"International law is clear that it's completely wrong and illegal to target civilians, if that's what's happened."
Israel's arch-foe Iran meanwhile denounced the "inaction" of the UN Security Council on Gaza, with President Hassan Rouhani accusing the international community of failing "to prevent the crimes against humanity of the Zionist regime."
"The savage aggression by the army of this child-killer regime (Israel), continues with a deliberate policy to commit genocide and massacre civilians and destroy infrastructure, houses, hospitals, schools and mosques," Rouhani said in Tehran.
Israeli soldiers walk near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip as they return from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian coastal enclave on Aug. 4, 2014
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it would withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip, when an agreed ceasefire with Gaza militants came into effect at 08:00 am.
The army will deploy outside Gaza in defensive positions when the three-day ceasefire begins, army spokesman Peter Lerner told journalists.
Shortly before the start of the 8:00 a.m. truce, militants in Gaza fired some 17 rockets at Israel, the Israeli army said in a statement.
"Eleven of them hit and six were intercepted by the Iron Dome over the area of Gush Dan, Ashdod, and Be'er Sheva."
In Gaza, two Palestinians succumbed to wounds sustained in earlier Israeli attacks, a health ministry spokesman said.
They were identified as Fayiz Abu Hammad, 34, and 22-year-old Ahmad al-Ghouti.
The two deaths brought the toll of the Israeli military offensive on Gaza to 1,867. The number of injuries neared 10,000.
Late Monday, sources in Egypt said both Palestinian factions and Israel had agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire starting from 8 a.m.
"Egypt's contacts with relevant parties have achieved a commitment for a 72-hour truce in Gaza starting from 0500 GMT tomorrow morning, and an agreement for the rest of the relevant delegations to come to Cairo to conduct further negotiations," a senior official in Egypt told AFP.
On Sunday in Cairo, Palestinian factions agreed on "a ceasefire; Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza; the end of the siege of Gaza and opening its border crossings," said Maher al-Taher, a member of the delegation.
The Palestinian demands also include fishing rights up to 12 nautical miles off Gaza's coast and the release of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas and Abbas, said Taher, a senior official with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
The Israeli army said on Tuesday it would withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip, when an agreed ceasefire with Gaza militants came into effect at 08:00 am.
The army will deploy outside Gaza in defensive positions when the three-day ceasefire begins, army spokesman Peter Lerner told journalists.
Shortly before the start of the 8:00 a.m. truce, militants in Gaza fired some 17 rockets at Israel, the Israeli army said in a statement.
"Eleven of them hit and six were intercepted by the Iron Dome over the area of Gush Dan, Ashdod, and Be'er Sheva."
In Gaza, two Palestinians succumbed to wounds sustained in earlier Israeli attacks, a health ministry spokesman said.
They were identified as Fayiz Abu Hammad, 34, and 22-year-old Ahmad al-Ghouti.
The two deaths brought the toll of the Israeli military offensive on Gaza to 1,867. The number of injuries neared 10,000.
Late Monday, sources in Egypt said both Palestinian factions and Israel had agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire starting from 8 a.m.
"Egypt's contacts with relevant parties have achieved a commitment for a 72-hour truce in Gaza starting from 0500 GMT tomorrow morning, and an agreement for the rest of the relevant delegations to come to Cairo to conduct further negotiations," a senior official in Egypt told AFP.
On Sunday in Cairo, Palestinian factions agreed on "a ceasefire; Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza; the end of the siege of Gaza and opening its border crossings," said Maher al-Taher, a member of the delegation.
The Palestinian demands also include fishing rights up to 12 nautical miles off Gaza's coast and the release of Palestinian prisoners demanded by Hamas and Abbas, said Taher, a senior official with the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Damage to the Jobran Family House on Tuesday
Just before the ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday morning, Palestinian resistance groups fired several dozen rockets toward Israeli targets. The longest-range one, apparently aimed toward the settlement of Gush Etzion, instead hit a Palestinian home in the town of Beit Sahour, near the southern west Bank city of Bethlehem.
Five family members of the Jobran family were injured by the rocket, which was fired by the resistance groups in the Gaza strip.
The family house sustained significant damage, in addition to the neighborhood power grid, phone lines and internet.
The five family members, three children, two adults, were taken to a local clinic for treatment.
This is the third time that a rocket fired by the Palestinian resistance toward Israeli targets has landed in Palestinian areas.
One of the three civilians killed by Palestinian rockets during the nearly-month-long assault was a Palestinian Bedouin living in a makeshift tin house in an unrecognized village in the Negev that had been destroyed by Israeli authorities on multiple occasions.
During the same time period, over 1800 Palestinians, an estimated 80% of whom were noncombatants, have been killed by the ongoing Israeli bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Over 10,000 Palestinian homes have been hit by Israeli strikes, including close to 2,000 that were completely destroyed.
In addition, 19 electric plants and 8 water treatment plants have been targeted by the Israeli assault, rendering water undrinkable throughout Gaza and leaving most Gazans without electricity or internet.
Earlier on Tuesday at dawn, Israeli forces invaded Beit Sahour and conducted house-to-house searches. Two kidnappings were reported as homes were ransacked by Israeli troops.
Just before the ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday morning, Palestinian resistance groups fired several dozen rockets toward Israeli targets. The longest-range one, apparently aimed toward the settlement of Gush Etzion, instead hit a Palestinian home in the town of Beit Sahour, near the southern west Bank city of Bethlehem.
Five family members of the Jobran family were injured by the rocket, which was fired by the resistance groups in the Gaza strip.
The family house sustained significant damage, in addition to the neighborhood power grid, phone lines and internet.
The five family members, three children, two adults, were taken to a local clinic for treatment.
This is the third time that a rocket fired by the Palestinian resistance toward Israeli targets has landed in Palestinian areas.
One of the three civilians killed by Palestinian rockets during the nearly-month-long assault was a Palestinian Bedouin living in a makeshift tin house in an unrecognized village in the Negev that had been destroyed by Israeli authorities on multiple occasions.
During the same time period, over 1800 Palestinians, an estimated 80% of whom were noncombatants, have been killed by the ongoing Israeli bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Over 10,000 Palestinian homes have been hit by Israeli strikes, including close to 2,000 that were completely destroyed.
In addition, 19 electric plants and 8 water treatment plants have been targeted by the Israeli assault, rendering water undrinkable throughout Gaza and leaving most Gazans without electricity or internet.
Earlier on Tuesday at dawn, Israeli forces invaded Beit Sahour and conducted house-to-house searches. Two kidnappings were reported as homes were ransacked by Israeli troops.
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Truce violations List of names Pictures of martyrs
Days: Aug: 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
July: 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8
Days: Aug: 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
July: 31 - 30 - 29 - 28 - 27 - 26 - 25 - 24 - 23 - 22 - 21 - 20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16 - 15 - 14 - 13 - 12 - 11 - 10 - 9 - 8
