Palestinians carry a man injured in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip on May 16, 2021. (Photo: AFP-Yonhap)
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City flattened three buildings and killed at least 42 people Sunday.
The toll since Hamas and Israel opened their air and artillery battles a week ago rose to at least 188 killed in Gaza and eight in Israel, according to local medics.
Some 55 children in Gaza and a 5-year-old boy in Israel were among the dead.
As battles between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers surged to their worst levels since 2014, U.N. Security Council diplomats and Muslim foreign ministers convened emergency meetings on Sunday to demand a stop to civilian bloodshed.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address that Israel "wants to levy a heavy price" on Hamas.
Amid calls for the U.S. to step up pressure on Israel, President Joe Biden said his administration was working with both sides to de-escalate the crisis.
[Clip: Biden]
"Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve to live in safety and security and enjoy an equal measure of freedom, prosperity and democracy. And my administration is going to continue to engage the Palestinians and Israelis and other regional partners to work towards sustained calm."
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