Gaza hospital hit in fatal Israeli attack – live updates

At least four killed in attack on al-Asqa martyrs hospital
Obama adds to international pressure on Israel
Dozens killed in single attack as deathtoll tops 500
Kerry's slip: 'it's a hell of a pinpoint operation'
13 Israeli soldiers killed on Sunday



1.51pm BST

It is unclear how the hospital was hit. Initial reports said it was attacked by F16s. The director of the hospital told the Guardian that it was a "heavy artillery bombardment". AP said it was tank fire.

1.34pm BST
Four dead in hospital attack

Gaza's health ministry now says four people were killed in that attack on the al-Aqsa martyrs hospital. "Dozens" were injured, according to health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra.

#عاجل_وزارةالصحة_غزة استشهاد 4 مواطنين وعشرات الاصابات إثر قصف الاحتلال المباشر على مستشفى شهداء الأقصى.
— د.أشرف القدرة (@press221) July 21, 2014

Qudra said 30 of the wounded were staff at the hospital according to AP.

Medical Aid for Palestinians confirms the attack.

Al Aqsa hospital hit-surgical, medical and ICU unit targeted with many injuries. Hospital serves 200,000 people #GazaUnderAttack
— MedicAidPalestinians (@MedicalAidPal) July 21, 2014

Updated at 1.37pm BST

1.23pm BST
16 wounded in hospital attack

Some 16 patients were wounded when the al-Aqsa martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah was attacked in a "heavy artillery bombardment", its director general Medhat Abbas confirmed to the Guardian.

"The patients were wounded in their beds," he said, adding that no warning was issued.


"This is crime. This is the fourth hospital to be attacked, during this aggression," he said.

Updated at 1.24pm BST

1.01pm BST
Hospital attacked

Gaza's health ministry claims a hospital in Deir al-Balah in the centre of the Gaza strip, has been attacked by Israeli fighter jets.

#عاجل_وزارةالصحة_غزة مستشفى شهداء الأقصى بمدينة دير البلح يتعرض لقصف مباشر الان
— د.أشرف القدرة (@press221) July 21, 2014

NOW ! #Israeli F16s bombed Al Aqsa hospital in Deir el Balah now! several are injured, no where to take them. #gaza
— Mohammed Omer  (@Mogaza) July 21, 2014

It comes after the Israeli military claimed photographic proof of rockets being fired from the Wa'afa hospital which was hit by Israel's bombardment last week.

Hamas fires rockets from Wafa Hospital in the Gaza neighborhood of Shuja'iya. pic.twitter.com/hITmEgdxRl
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 21, 2014

Updated at 1.07pm BST

12.51pm BST

Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has signalled that the offensive against Gaza will intensify still further.

His spokesman quote him saying "the operaton will be expanded" a day after more than 100 people were killed in the bloodiest day of the conflict so far.

PM Netanyahu:The operation will be expanded until the goal is achieved – restoring quiet to the citizens of Israel for a long period of time
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) July 21, 2014

But he hinted at a possible reason for scaling back the offensive, should his government so choose.

PM Netanyahu: I am impressed by the operation to hit the tunnels; it is achieving results beyond what we expected.
— Ofir Gendelman (@ofirgendelman) July 21, 2014

12.07pm BST

Israel is showing no sign of heeding international calls for a ceasefire.

"This is not the time to talk of a ceasefire," said Gilad Erdan, communications minister and a member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inner security cabinet.


"We must complete the mission, and the mission cannot end until the threat of the tunnels is removed," he told reporters according to Reuter.

Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner also signalled that Israel would press ahead with the operation (see earlier).

11.54am BST
Summary

Here's a summary of the latest developments:

The UN Security Council has expressed concern at the escalation of violence in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire. "The members of the Security Council expressed serious concern about the growing number of casualties. The members of the Security Council called for an immediate cessation of hostilities," Rwandan UN Ambassador Eugene Gasana told reporters after an emergency meeting of the 15-member council. The UN's human rights council is due to discuss the crisis on Wednesday after a request from Egypt.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has criticised indiscriminate Israeli attacks in an unguarded moment between TV interviews, before heading to Cairo for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire. He sacastically questioned Israeli claims about the accuracy of the offensive, by saying "It's a hell of a pinpoint operation. It's a hell of a pinpoint operation."

A new salvo of rockets was launched at Israel from Gaza. At least six were intercepted, while one damaged property in Sderot.

The number of Palestinians killed in the offensive has increased to more than 500 with a further 3,150 injured. Israel said it killed 10 militants after they crossed the border in tunnels.

Israel has been sending out conflicting messages about claims that Hamas militants have captured one of its soldiers. Isreal's ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosser, said: “There is no kidnapped Israeli soldier and those rumors are untrue." But a military spokesman said he could not confirm or deny the report while it was being investigated.

The US State Department has confirmed that two American citizens were among the soldiers killed fighting for Israel over the weekend. It named them as Max Steinberg of California and Nissim Carmeli of Texas.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Qatar in talks aimed at bringing an end to the violence. Abbas is due to meet Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal later on Monday.

Israel killed dozens of Palestinians in a Gaza City suburb in the deadliest attack in an almost two-week offensive against Hamas. At least 67 people – some fighters but many civilians – were killed in a night of intense violence in Shujai'iya that has been described by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, as a massacre. Hundreds more were injured.

Updated at 11.57am BST

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/gaza-crisis-unsc-and-obama-call-for-immediate-ceasefire-live-updates

Newest at the top.

Hospitals and medical centres are supposed to above the wars. I thought there was a UN convention on such acts of attrition.

Maybe prove is needed that Hamas was actually firing rockets from the roof as has been claimed by some.