Smoke rises from explosions caused by an Israeli missile strike in the Shijaiyah neighborhood in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, July 20, 2014. The neighborhood came under heavy tank fire Sunday as Israel widened its ground offensive against Hamas, causing hundreds of panicked residents to flee. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)[/caption]Diplomatic efforts to end two weeks of Gaza Stripfighting intensified after battles killed dozens of Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers in the conflicts bloodiest single day.
The Palestinian death tally rose past 500, Al Jazeera television reported, citing the Gaza Health Ministry. Twenty Israelis have also died.
U.S. Secretary of StateJohn Kerryis scheduled to arrive inEgypttoday to prod truce efforts. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is already in the Mideast, conferring with regional leaders.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon signaled yesterday that the ground war may be winding down, saying the army was close to achieving most of the military goals it set.
The conflict, which began with rockets launched from Gaza and Israeli war planes targeting militant operations, entered a deadlier phase with the July 17 opening of a ground offensive.Israellost more soldiers yesterday than it did in its entire three-week war in Gaza in 2009, for a total death toll of 18 since violence escalated early this month. Two civilians also have been killed.
Eighty-seven Palestinians were killed yesterday, including 60 who died in Israeli artillery and tank fire in the Shujaiya area of Gaza City, according to Health Ministry officials who released the tolls.
Photographer: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty ImagesPalestinian medics evacuate an injured girl from Gaza's Shujaiya district on July 20, 2014.
Israels stated objective of the ground war is to destroy tunnels militants dug to carry out cross-border raids. Two militant squads entered Israel today through underground passages, and the military said one squad was hit by air and ground troops killed 10 infiltrators in a gunbattle.
The lions share of the tunnels will be destroyed within two to three days, Yaalon said yesterday at a news conference with Prime MinisterBenjamin NetanyahuinTel Aviv.
By Bloomberg
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