In a major all-out offensive, the Israeli army has swept into the Gaza Strip with tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and thousands of troops, while Israeli warplanes have stepped up bombings from the air.
Haaretz newspaper says the death toll at the end of the day for Palestinians was 56, including five children, a 17-year-old girl and her 16-year-old brother, a 45-year-old man and his 20-year-old son, and two sisters, thought to be in their early 20s, who were blasted by Israeli tanks. Two Israeli soldiers also died. They were both 20-years-old.
Palestinians say peace talks are over
Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat has said peace talks with Israel have been "buried under the houses that were destroyed" in the heavy Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sharply condemned the Israeli attacks, which have killed 88 Palestinians since a 47-year-old Israeli university student was killed in Sderot on Wednesday, and has called for emergency meetings of the United Nations Security Council and the Arab League.
He also blamed Hamas, which holds power in the Gaza Strip, for providing Israel with an excuse to carry out the attacks.
UN raises alarm over plight of children in Gaza
Faced with devastating humanitarian conditions from the crippling Israeli blockade, Palestinian children are now being shocked and awed by raging aerial bombings, and ground offensives by the Israeli army.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Saturday voiced its deep concern at the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip. It has warned both Israel and the Palestinians to “take all feasible measures†to ensure the protection and care of children caught up in the violence.
Since the current upsurge in fighting began on Wednesday, at least seventeen children from Gaza have been killed and more than 200 others injured, UNICEF said in a statement, quoting figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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