U.N. chief voices alarm at increased Gaza violence

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm on Sunday that hostilities in and around the Gaza Strip appeared to be worsening, warning that an Israeli ground offensive would "undoubtedly increase the death toll and exacerbate civilian suffering in the Gaza Strip." Ban reiterated his call for an end to the fighting, which he said had "grave implications for the safety of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians," his press office said in a statement. The U.N. Security Council called on Saturday for a ceasefire. Thousands fled their homes in a Gaza Strip town on Sunday after Israel warned them to leave before it attacked rocket-launching sites, on the sixth day of an offensive that Palestinian officials said had killed at least 160 people. Militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza kept up rocket salvoes deep into the Jewish state as the worst bout of Israel-Palestinian bloodshed in two years showed no signs of abating, and Western foreign ministers said a ceasefire was an urgent priority. Read More http://ift.tt/W1p0td