News desk :Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip on Friday killed six people, including a pregnant woman and two children, taking the Palestinian toll to 815, as the 18- day conflict threatens to spread to the West Bank after deaths of two youths in anti-Israel protests in north of Jerusalem.A top leader of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, a Hamas ally, and his sons were also killed on Friday in Israeli attacks, Gaza emergency services officials said.Salah Hasanein and his sons, 12 and 15, were killed in the strike in the southern city of Rafah, they said.Another raid killed a 23-year-old pregnant woman in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah after her house was hit. However, surgeons saved the life of the woman’s unborn child.Hamas’ military wing claimed it fired three rockets targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion International airport.There has been a huge Israeli security operation around Muslim Friday prayers in the old city, involving more than 2,000 Israeli police. Palestinian men under the age of 50 were forbidden from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque.It follows a night of violence in the West Bank. Outside Ramallah, more than 10,000 Palestinians marched towards Jerusalem and clashed with Israeli soldiers. Two Palestinians were killed and more than 200 were wounded, while 29 Israeli police officers were injured.There is much anger here about the mounting casualties in Gaza. As ever, there is talk about the possibility of a third Palestinian intifada – or uprising. That may or may not take place. But the situation is as tense in the West Bank as at any time in the last five years. Hopes rose for at least a limited deal on Friday as it emerged that Kerry, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and UN chief Ban Ki-moon were planning a news conference for later in the day. Kerry is expected to leave the region on Friday, whether or not a deal is agreed.The plan is thought to include provision for a temporary pause in hostilities that could begin as soon as this weekend.Israel wants to keep its military in Gaza and continue disabling Hamas tunnels. Any plan must be approved both by Israel’s security cabinet and senior Hamas leaders, including Qatar-based Khaled Meshaal. UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack, which came hours after the agency had warned that Israel’s actions in the Gaza could constitute war crimes. According to the UN, more than 118,000 people are now sheltering in UN schools and people are running out of food. Palestinian toll now stands at 815 killed and more than 5,000 injured. Thirty two Israeli soldiers, two civilians and a Thai worker in Israel have also been killed in the conflict. One other soldier remains missing, but is presumed dead. Earlier on Thursday night thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of the West Bank to protest in support of Hamas and its conflict with Israel when Israeli security forces opened fire, Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouti said.Protesters were “throwing rocks, firebombs and fireworks” at the troops, The Jerusalem Post reported. The newspaper said 13 Israeli police officers were injured. Ramallah’s health minister said 185 wounded Palestinians were brought in for treatment.The demonstration erupted only hours after a UN shelter in Gaza was hit, killing 16 people and wounding a couple hundred more-most of them women and children.Video from the school showed chaos amid pools of blood. There were so many victims than many gurneys included two wounded children. One father carried his small daughter into a hospital. There wasn’t much he could do but try to comfort his little girl as she cried and begged for him not to leave her.The bloodshed left UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon exasperated. “I am telling to the parties-both Israelis and Hamas, Palestinians-that it is morally wrong to kill your own people,” Ban said. The “whole world has been watching, is watching with great concern. You must stop fighting and enter into dialogue.”Meanwhile efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas movement are intensifying as the death toll in the 18-day conflict continues to climb.
