UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza that has left more than 1,000 people dead and the infrastructure in a “critical condition”.
He continued:
“In the name of humanity, the violence must stop”
His words came as news of two explosions killed seven Palestinians in civilian areas of Gaza city, one struck Gaza’s main Shifa hospital and another hit a children’s playground, causing a number of casualties. Israel blamed the explosions on misfired Hamas rockets, but an NBC News team on the ground reported that the explosion at Shifa hospital was due to an Israeli strike.
Loud explosion from Israeli strike near the vicinity of Shifa hospital at 5p local time, smoke billowing nearby #gaza pic.twitter.com/bFRUEqvEdC
— Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) July 28, 2014
In Israel, mortars fired from Gaza landed in Ashkol, killing four Israelis and injuring six more.
Since Israel launched Operation Defensive Edge three weeks ago, more than 1,030 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed as well as 43 Israeli soldiers, two Israeli civilians, and a Thai national in Israel.
