Violence soars in Gaza as world pleads for truce

Bloodshed in and around Gaza surged on Tuesday with strikes killing 13 Palestinians, a day after five Israeli soldiers died, shattering hopes for an end to three weeks of violence. It was a bloody start to the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid-ul-Fitr which began in the Missle East on Monday, with international demands for an end to the fighting falling on increasingly deaf ears. ‘In the name of humanity, the violence must stop,’ pleaded UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after holding long talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to ‘stop the violence’ and heed international calls for a ceasefire, according to AFP.