Death toll nears 100 in Israel's Gaza offensive

At least 21 people were killed today including three Palestinians in new Israeli strikes here today. One bomb struck a media building for the second time since the attacks started.

As civilian casualties mounted in Gaza, Egypt intensified efforts to mediate a truce between the two sides, and UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire as he prepared to join truce talks in Cairo.

The death toll in the coastal territory since the Operation Pillar of Defense began had reached 98, one third of the killed were not involved in the conflict, according to Israel's Haretz newspaper.

It said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) admitted that nine Palestinians were killed "accidentally" in a missile strike in which a top operative in Hamas rocket programme was hit.

The army's chief military spokesman, Yoav Mordechai, told Israel's Channel 2 TV that the intended target of the strike had been Yehiya Rabiah, the head of Hamas's rocket-launching unit, but that there had been "civilian casualties".

While Israeli military continued to pound the narrow Gaza Strip -- 41 km long, 6-12 km wide -- incessantly from both land and sea, it also prepared for a ground offensive in case truce talks failed.

Even as casualties mounted, including women and children, Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said he had assured world leaders that Israel was doing its utmost to avoid causing civilian casualties.

Ban on the other hand expressed concern at the increasing violence in a statement before setting off for the region.

"I am deeply saddened by the reported deaths of more than ten members of the Dalu family... (and) by the continuing firing of rockets against Israeli towns, which have killed several Israeli civilians," Ban said. (MORE)