JERUSALEM: Israeli aerial bombardment of Gaza claimed its 105th Palestinian life on Friday as Hamas pounded central Israel with rockets and the United States offered to help broker a truce.

At least 13 Palestinians, including a woman and a seven-year-old child, were killed in Israeli air strikes during the day, medics said. More than 500 people have been injured.

So far, no one in Israel has been killed and less than a dozen people have hurt, two of them seriously.

Gaza death toll crosses 100; truce bids by US, Egypt snubbed

In northern Israel, at least one rocket fired from Lebanon struck an open area near Metula and troops hit back with artillery fire, the Israeli army said.

Israeli military officials said they believed a Palestinian group had fired in solidarity with Hamas, public radio reported.

The Israeli army claimed having hit 21 Hamas-owned structures over the past 24 hours, prompting a warning from the UN’s human rights office over the number of civilian casualties from attacks on homes.

“Buildings that are ordinarily used for civilian purposes, such as homes, are presumed not to be legitimate military targets,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said. “Even when a home is identified as being used for military purposes, any attack must be proportionate... and precautions must be taken to protect civilians.”

Meanwhile, Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, kept up a steady stream of rocket fire on central Israel, with sirens sending people fleeing for shelter in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and even the northern port city of Haifa.

Three Gaza rockets were shot down over Tel Aviv by the Iron Dome anti-missile system, the army said, as the Brigades claimed their militants had fired M75 missiles at Israel’s main international airport near there.

Israel’s Airport Authority said the Ben Gurion airport had been closed for “nine minutes” but then normal operations resumed.

Hamas warned “all foreign airlines” to halt flights due to “the dangers surrounding all the airports due to the ongoing war”.

As a result of the fire from Lebanon, a Polish passenger jet heading to Tel Aviv was forced to make an emergency stop in Cyprus, before returning to Poland, aviation authorities said.

Diplomatic efforts to end the hostilities between Israel and Hamas gathered pace, with US President Barack Obama phoning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities,” the White House said.

But Mr Netanyahu said he would not end his campaign until he achieved his goal of stopping the Hamas fire.

Ismail Haniya, Gaza’s former prime minister and the most senior Hamas official in the coastal enclave, also ruled out any end to hostilities.

“(Israel) is the one that started this aggression and it must stop, because we are defending ourselves,” he said.

“Egypt has communicated with all sides to halt violence against civilians and called on them to continue with the truce agreement signed in November 2012. Unfortunately, these efforts... have met with stubbornness,” the foreign ministry of the country which had played a key role in mediating previous Hamas-Israel ceasefires said.

Israel’s military chief of staff, Lt Gen Benny Gantz, warned that his army was intending to “broaden its activity as necessary, with all necessary force”.

Israel has confirmed preparations are under way for a possible ground attack, with tanks and artillery massed along the border and some 33,000 reserves mobilised out of the 40,000 approved by the cabinet.

Israeli military officials quoted by public radio said the political leadership was expected to take a decision on a ground operation “within 48 hours”.

A group of 34 charities and NGOs also called for an end to the fighting.

“Military actions by all parties must stop,” said a statement signed by groups including ActionAid, CARE, Oxfam and Save the Children.

Since the start of Israel’s operation in Gaza on Tuesday, 460 rockets have struck the Jewish state, and Iron Dome has shot down 121.

Another 53 crashed into Israel since midnight Thursday, while 18 more were intercepted, the army said.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2014