Israeli strikes have killed dozens of Palestinians, while Islamic Jihad has launched hundreds of rockets at Israel.
The UN and Egypt are pressing Israel and militants in Gaza to agree on an immediate ceasefire as both sides exchanged fire for a second consecutive day, raising fears of a wider conflict that would deepen civilian woes in the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
Israel’s military carried out airstrikes again on Saturday targeting what it said were Palestinian Islamic Jihad members and sites across the Gaza Strip.
At least 24 Palestinians have been killed, including six children, among them a five-year-old girl and a senior militant commander, and wounded 204 others since the airstrikes began on Friday, the Gaza Health Ministry reported.
The Israeli army said it believed it had successfully killed a second Islamic Jihad commander in the southern Gaza Strip.
At the same time, Palestinian militants have launched hundreds of rockets at Israel’s south and centre, setting off air raid sirens and sending thousands of Israelis running to bomb shelters.
The violence showed little sign of easing on Saturday night, when a number of Palestinians, including “multiple” children, were killed by an explosion in the Jabaliya refugee camp north of Gaza City. The Israeli military said an errant Islamic Jihad rocket was responsible.