Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Crisis Tops 1,000

The number of people killed in the Israeli-Hamas conflict has passed 1,000, according to Palestinian medical officials.

On the day the two sides declared a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire, at least 85 bodies have been pulled from the rubble during the lull in fighting.

This brings the Palestinian death toll to an estimated 985, along with 39 Israelis, who have died since the conflict began on 8 July.

About 5,870 Palestinians have also been wounded in the 19 days of fighting, health officials in Palestine say.

During the truce Gaza residents returned to their destroyed homes to try and gather essential supplies and retrieve bodies buried under rubble and in previously inaccessible areas.

The humanitarian truce was also used to open banks and carry out maintenance work to repair damage done to the electricity and water supplies during the Israeli bombardment.

The truce is due to end at 18:00 GMT. On Saturday international talks were underway in Paris to try and extend the truce.

The US Secretary of State Kerry flew to Paris where French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius hosted him and counterparts from Britain, Germany, Italy, Qatar, Turkey and the European Union.

"We all call on parties to extend the humanitarian ceasefire currently in force, by 24 hours that could be renewed," France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told reporters after the meeting, which lasted more than two hours.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said before the talks began: "We all want to obtain a lasting ceasefire as quickly as possible that addresses both Israeli requirements in terms of security and Palestinian requirements in terms of socio-economic development. It's now about reaching a common position that we must put an end to the deaths."