UN calls for Gaza ceasefire

Written By Unknown on Senin, 21 Juli 2014 | 16.50

21 July 2014 Last updated at 10:03

The UN Security Council has called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza.

It comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Cairo for talks on the crisis amid a mounting death toll.

Over 500 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed since the Israeli offensive began two weeks ago, Gaza's health ministry says.

Twenty Israelis - 18 of them soldiers - have died, Israel says, as it seeks to end rocket fire on the country.

On Sunday Gaza saw its deadliest day since the start of Israel's Operation Protective Edge, with 13 Israeli soldiers and more than 100 Palestinians killed.

Israel says it has killed at least 120 militants since the ground offensive began on Thursday night.

In Monday's early developments:

  • Artillery fire and air strikes are continuing to the east of Gaza City, with Israeli aircraft seen over Shejaiya district for a second day, and the Maghazi neighbourhood
  • Ten Hamas militants were killed after using tunnels in the northern Gaza Strip to infiltrate Israel 1km (0.6 miles) from the town of Sderot, Israel said
  • Twenty Palestinians have been killed in strikes so far on Monday, Gaza's health ministry says, 16 of them in southern Gaza.
Rescuers pull woman from rubble

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Lyse Doucet in Gaza City: A mother of four children was one of those killed in Shejaiya on Sunday

Israeli soldiers' funerals

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John Simpson reports: ''Israel isn't used to losing soldiers on such a scale''

'Sobering session'

Sunday's late-night UN Security Council session was convened at the request of Jordan, which is understood to have proposed a strongly worded draft resolution for consideration.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke out on the situation, describing Israel's operation in Shejaiya as "an atrocious action".

However, the 15-member council instead issued a statement to the press, with Rwanda's UN ambassador calling for "an immediate cessation of hostilities".

Eugene Gasana said members voiced alarm at the escalation of violence during a "sobering session".

Benjamin Netanyahu

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Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu to BBC Arabic: "I regret any civilian casualty"

Riyad Mansour - Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations

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Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour said the UN must take responsibility

'A massacre'

More than 60 Palestinians alone were killed during heavy shelling in Shejaiya, in what Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called "a massacre".

He called for urgent talks, saying the "situation is intolerable" in Gaza and describing the Israeli attacks as "crimes against humanity."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue operations "as much as we need to" despite the number of Israeli soldiers killed rising to 18 at the weekend.

Two of the soldiers killed were American citizens, US state department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.

Sunday's death toll for Israel's military is higher than that sustained during the entire three-week duration of Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009, the last time Israel sent troops into Gaza.

The deaths of so many soldiers on a single day will shock Israeli society, the BBC's Chris Morris reports from southern Israel.

Hamas said on Sunday evening that it had captured a member of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), prompting celebrations on the streets of Gaza and West Bank.

However Israel's UN ambassador Ron Prosor denied the claim, saying "those rumours are untrue".

The UN says 83,695 people have now been displaced in Gaza and that the figure is "rising all the time".

There were scenes of panic in Shejaiya, with thousands of residents fleeing.

Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence correspondent

The fact that the battle has moved into a heavily-populated urban area means that the civilian death toll will rise markedly.

With it will come added pressure from outside to end the operation once and for all.

Hamas's infiltration tunnels prompted the Israeli movement on the ground. Many civilians may have fled but clearly others remained. Now the fighting is close-up and bitter and it's taking a toll on the Israelis as well.

This may well be exactly what Hamas military commanders wanted: to draw the Israeli forces into a close urban environment, a difficult battleground for any modern army.

Jonathan Marcus: Turning point reached?

In an interview with BBC Arabic, Mr Netanyahu called Shejaiya a "terror stronghold" and a centre for rocket attacks on Israel.

Mr Netanyahu said Israeli troops had no choice but to enter densely populated areas and that they had asked civilians to leave.

Israel sent ground troops into Gaza after days of heavy air and naval barrages failed to stop rocket fire.

Israel says the ground operation is necessary to target Hamas' network of tunnels, which have been used by militants to infiltrate Israel and carry out attacks.

Are you in the area affected? Are you or is someone you know affected by the situation? Email your comments to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'Gaza'.


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