Gaza death toll tops 1,000

A shell fired from an Israeli army tank explodes over a building in Gaza

The death toll in Gaza rose above 1,000 as efforts to broker a truce intensified. Egypt and Hamas were negotiating a proposal for a 10-day ceasefire in Gaza, officials said. The proposal would then be presented to Israel for approval. Israel, which began its offensive on December 27, struck some 85 targets in the strip bordering southern Israel. One airstrike hit an overcrowded cemetery, spreading body parts and rotting flesh over a wide area. The army said the airstrike targeted a nearby weapons cache. Israel launched the onslaught in Gaza to punish the ruling Hamas militant group for years of rocket attacks on southern Israel.

The offensive has killed at least 1,018 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, including 300 minors, said Dr Moaiya Hassanain, of the Gaza health ministry. The toll included 68 Palestinians who were killed or died of wounds on Wednesday. Thirteen Israelis have been killed, four by rocket fire from Gaza. Rocket fire from Lebanon, the second time in a week, caused no injuries in Israel. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed group that fought a month-long war with Israel in 2006, denied involvement in last week's attack, and speculation focused on small Palestinian groups. The Muslim world has expressed outrage over Israel's Gaza offensive, and in a new condemnation, al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden urged Muslims to launch a holy war against Israel. Israeli military officials have said talks in Cairo will determine whether Israel moves closer to a truce with Hamas or widens its offensive to send thousands of reservists into urban areas where casualties on both sides would likely mount. Israel wants an end to rocket attacks from Gaza and guarantees of a halt in the smuggling of weapons into Gaza through the porous Egyptian border. Hamas has called for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.