Overt 100 Palestinians have been killed by airstrikes in Gaza as the first week of Israeli's violent offensive attack comes to a close.
Israel says it has struck some 1,100 Hamas targets, mostly rocket-launching sites, in Gaza ever since it began the offensive titled Operation Protective Eagle at the start of the week, according to the Associated Press. Hamas militants have also launched hundreds of rockets into parts of Tel Aviv, but so far there have been no casualties in Israeli cities.
The latest deaths occurred Thursday night when rockets killed eight people in Gaza, increasing the number of fatalities to 98. Another airstrike that same night killed more people, tipping the number of deaths over 100, health officials told the AP.
Israel has faced increasing international pressure to stop the assault on Hamas targets in Gaza.
President Barack Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday evening to suggest a ceasefire with Hamas militants.
"The United States remains prepared to facilitate a cessation of hostilities, including a return to the November 2012 ceasefire agreement," the White House said according to The Guardian.
The U.N. held an emergency security council meeting on Thursday. Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour called for immediate action.
"We call on the security council to act immediately to protect civilian lives, which are being lost [and] destroyed with each passing minute," Mansour said according to The Guardian.
But Israel appears to be prepared to step up the offensive. Nearly 20,000 reserve troops have been called up in the event of a ground invasion.
"So far the battle is progressing as planned, but we can expect further stages in the future," Netanyahu said Thursday. "Up to now, we have hit Hamas and the terror organizations hard and as the battle continues we will increase strikes at them."
Israel's barrage of airstrikes began in response to rockets launched by Hamas militants following the murders of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank and the subsequent murder of a Palestinian teen, according to the AP.
