Update | Gaza death toll tops 340 as UN chief heads to Middle East in peace effort
Death toll in Israeli offensive in Gaza rises to at least 333, with 2,250 Palestinians and several Israelis wounded, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon departs for the region
Israeli air strikes pounded Gaza again, taking the death toll from a 12-day bombardment to 341, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon headed to the region to join truce efforts.
The United Nations secretary general would leave for the region yesterday to help Israelis and Palestinians "end the violence and find a way forward", undersecretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council.
Ban's push for peace came as Israel was poised to intensify a ground operation inside the besieged Palestinian territory it says is necessary to stop militants tunnelling into the Jewish state.
Despite the pounding, Palestinian commandos managed to infiltrate, triggering a skirmish with an army patrol that left two Israeli soldiers dead, as Gaza's bloodiest conflict since 2009 showed no signs of letting up.
The United States urged Israel, its ally, to do more to limit the high civilian death toll, while supporting the country's right to defend itself. President Barack Obama said Washington was "deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life".
