Gaza toll passes 300 as UN chief heads to region

GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Fresh Israeli air strikes killed 10 people in Gaza on Saturday, hiking the death toll above 300 as UN chief Ban Ki-moon headed to the region to bolster truce efforts. The new peace push came as Israel’s campaign against the besieged Palestinian territory entered day 12 in the bloodiest conflict for several years, and the Jewish state stood poised to intensify a ground operation inside the Strip. US President Barack Obama has supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Gaza rocket fire, but urged it to work harder to avoid innocent deaths in an operation with a high civilian toll, including many women and children. In the face of Israel’s land, sea and air offensive, Hamas, which is the main power in Gaza, has remained defiant as Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas traveled to Egypt and Turkey for truce talks. An early morning air strike outside a mosque in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed seven people on Saturday, including a woman, medics said, with other raids shortly afterwards bringing the total death toll to 306 Palestinians and two Israelis. The UN said Friday Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would fly to the region Saturday in a bid to end the violence. Ban would help Israelis and Palestinians “in coordination with regional and international actors, end the violence and find a way forward,” under secretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman told emergency talks at the Security Council. But the two sides’ UN ambassadors traded blame for the violence, with Israel’s Ron Prosor insisting no other country would “tolerate” rocket fire at its citizens. Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour read aloud the names of Palestinian dead, including women and children to the Security Council, and at one point appeared close to tears. Israel’s ground incursion, launched on the tenth day of an operation to stamp out rocket fire from Gaza, has killed dozens and forced thousands of people to flee. - AFP