Gaza death toll tops 800 as truce efforts intensify
What you need to know:
- Among the dead in Gaza on Friday were two women killed in an air strike, one of them pregnant, adding to a spiralling toll of Palestinian civilian casualties from Israel’s military operation to halt militant rocket fire.
- As the fighting continued on day 18 of the conflict, the Israeli army announced the death of a 36-year-old reserve soldier, bringing the toll of soldiers and officers killed in Gaza since July 8 to 33.
GAZA CITY
Israeli fire pushed the Palestinian death toll in Gaza to above 800 Friday, as the US and UN pressed Israel and Hamas to agree a humanitarian ceasefire and thrash out a durable truce.
In the West Bank, demonstrations began as Palestinian factions declared a “Day of Rage” after a night of clashes over Israel’s Gaza offensive that left one Palestinian dead.
Among the dead in Gaza on Friday were two women killed in an air strike, one of them pregnant, adding to a spiralling toll of Palestinian civilian casualties from Israel’s military operation to halt militant rocket fire.
As the fighting continued on day 18 of the conflict, the Israeli army announced the death of a 36-year-old reserve soldier, bringing the toll of soldiers and officers killed in Gaza since July 8 to 33.
Hamas meanwhile announced it had fired three rockets at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, with an army spokeswoman confirming that “two rockets were shot down over metropolitan Tel Aviv.”
The claim raised new fears after many US and European carriers resumed flights to the airport after a two-day suspension following rocket fire near it.
The army said militants fired 25 rockets which hit southern Israel early Friday with another 10 intercepted. The rockets have killed two Israeli civilians and a Thai worker.
International pressure on both sides to cease fire ramped up Friday after the alleged Israeli shelling of a UN facility sheltering displaced Gazans killed at least 15 civilians.
Israel’s security cabinet was to meet Friday to discuss a truce proposal passed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by US Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli media reported.
