Dalai Lama describes ongoing Gaza crisis as "unthinkable"

Tibetan spiritual leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has said that the ongoing Gaza crisis was "unthinkable".

Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinian militants who slipped across the border from Gaza through hidden tunnels on Monday, the military said, as the death toll from the two-week conflict passed 500 amid growing international calls for an end.

Non-stop attacks lifted the Palestinian death toll to 496, including almost 100 children, since fighting started on July 8.

Israel says 18 of its soldiers have also died along with two civilians.

Addressing journalists at Kangra domestic airport in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama said he did not expect such sort of violence from people who claim to hold religious principles.

"Unthinkable. All major religious traditions-Islam, Christianity, Hindu, of course, Jainism and Buddhism - all major religious traditions-teach us the practice of compassion, love, forgiveness, tolerance. So then a person who believes in certain faith, why do you involve in such violence? It is really very, very sad," he said.

Despite worldwide calls for a cessation of the worst bout of Palestinian-Israeli violence for more than five years, Israeli ministers ruled out any swift truce.

For its part, Hamas, weakened by the loss of Egypt and Syria as allies, voiced determination to fight on to break Israel's economic siege of Gaza.