gaza airstrikes funeral
Relatives and friends of the al-Kaware family carry their bodies to the mosque during their funeral in Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. The father, a member of the Fatah movement, and his six young sons were all killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted their home AFP

The death toll among Palestinian children is steadily rising as Israeli forces continue targeting Gaza with air strikes.

The Gaza health ministry said that at least 21 Palestinians aged 16 or younger have been killed by airstrikes since the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) began its operation on Tuesday. The youngest victim, 18-month-old Mohammed Malakiyeh, was killed along with his 27-year-old mother.

A seven-year-old girl was killed in an air raid on a house in Rafah on Friday morning. Health ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said a missile targeted the child's house and killed the entire family.

Israel's attacks are part of the IDF's Operation Protective Edge, launched to restore calm in southern Israel after the firing of a reported 156 rockets from Gaza last week

At least 100 Palestinians have been killed and another 670 wounded since Israel launched its operation, Gaza's health ministry said on Friday.

The ministry sent 12 trucks containing medicines to its warehouses in order to assist the victims of Israel's attacks. Five additional trucks are expected to reach Gaza on Saturday.

Israel has struck more than 320 Hamas targets between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, bringing the total number of targets hit to more than 750 in three days.

Meanwhile, the IDF said on Friday that more than 570 rockets have been fired from Gaza at Israel in the past three days.

No causalities have been reported in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said air strikes would continue despite the mounting death toll in Gaza.

"I am not speaking with anyone about a ceasefire. That is not under consideration," he said.

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