Dozens die in school refuge attack
Dozens of Palestinians, many of them children, have been killed in an Israeli bombardment near the UN-run al-Fakhura school in Gaza.
Hundreds of Palestinians had sought safety there after fleeing from the Jabaliya refugee camp in the face of the Israeli advance.
Up to 40 people were reported to have died in the attack as Israel continued its military offensive to end rocket and mortar attacks from sites in the Hamas-governed territory.
Earlier another hit on another UN school compound was reported to have killed three people.
Tel Aviv insisted its forces had been responding to militant fire from within the schools.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said militants regularly hid among civilians inside such facilities or used them to launch attacks.
"According to our values and the instructions that we have in the army, the targets are Hamas targets. We try to avoid any kind of civilian casualties," she added.
Israeli said five of its soldiers had died on Tuesday - four as a result of friendly fire.
Palestinian medics estimate that up to 600 people have been killed since the offensive was launched 10 days ago in a bid to stop Hamas militants firing rockets into southern Israel.
Three Israeli civilians and one soldier have been killed by rocket fire from the Gaza Strip over that period.
