TEL AVIV, Israeli - Israeli airstrikes killed 12 people in Gaza overnight, raising the overall death toll of Palestinians during the 10-day offensive to 310, Palestinian officials said on Saturday. Two Israelis – one of them a soldier involved in the ongoing ground offensive – have been killed since violence flared almost two weeks ago. The Israeli military said that it had found 13 tunnels and 31 access points since the ground offensive started Thursday night.
The stated aim of the ground invasion has been to destroy a network of secret tunnels that Islamic militants have dug under its borders. Overnight, seven rockets were launched into Israel from the enclave – four were intercepted before they hit the ground, while three landed, the Israel Defense Forces said. The conflict is taking a growing toll on the civilian population of Gaza, according to the United Nations. On Friday, the U.N. announced that 57,900 children would need psychological support after experiencing death, injury or being forced from their homes. The number of people who needed shelter had swelled to 94,400, it added.
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