The world implored Israel and Hamas Saturday to end hostilities as warplanes pounded Gaza for a fifth straight day, killing at least 30 Palestinians, and militants replied with rockets. Both sides have brushed off calls for a truce, and Israel is building up troops and armour on the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground invasion.
As the Palestinian death toll hit 135, and with no Israelis killed, the UN Security Council urged Israel and Hamas to respect "international humanitarian laws" and stop the loss of life. In a unanimous declaration, the 15-member council urged a return to the "calm and restitution of the November 2012 cease-fire", referring to Gaza's last deadly full-scale conflict.
Israel's aerial campaign - the largest and deadliest since 2012 - saw strikes start early on Saturday, including one that hit a centre for the handicapped, and another that killed two nephews of Gaza's former Hamas premier, Ismail Haniya. Two Gaza rockets fired from Gaza and apparently targeting the occupied Jerusalem hit the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and another struck near Bethlehem, the army said, as Hamas threatened to rain down more rockets on major Israeli population centres. An attack on the northern Gaza Strip hit a centre for the handicapped, killing two disabled women and wounding four, the centre's director said.
"They didn't understand what was happening and they were so frightened," Jamila Alaywa said of those inside the care home. "They fired the rocket and it hit us without any warning." The army had no immediate comment. Other targets included a bank, the homes of Hamas leaders and a mosque. Two nephews of Haniya were among the dead in one strike, residents said.
Three rockets fired from Gaza, apparently at the occupied Jerusalem, fell short, hitting Hebron and Bethlehem, the army and Palestinian security sources said. There were no reports of casualties from the attacks. International efforts were under way to mediate a truce, with Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's spokesman saying he was in touch with both sides. Sisi met Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair in Cairo on Saturday to discuss the crisis, and released a statement warning against escalation causing further loss of "innocent lives".
Reuters adds: An Israeli air strike on the home of Gaza's police chief killed 15 Palestinians on Saturday, the Gaza health ministry said, the deadliest attack since Israel launched an offensive in the enclave five days ago. An Israeli military spokesman said he was checking the report. A source in Gaza's dominant Hamas group said the police chief, Tayseer Al-Batsh, was in a critical condition and most of the dead were from the same family.
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