After what was widely seen as the worst single incident in the 11-day operation, Barack Obama, incoming US president, broke his silence on the conflict, saying he was “deeply concerned” about civilian casualties in Gaza and Israel. A number of children was reported to have been killed in the attack.
The UN security council was meeting last night to hear a report from Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general. Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state, and Bernard Kouchner and David Miliband, her French and British counterparts, were attending the meeting.
The killings came as the offensive moved into a more treacherous phase, with Israeli forces striking deeper into densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip in pursuit of Hamas fighters.