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Gaza bloodshed spirals as US offers to broker ceasefire

Israeli warplanes kept up deadly raids on Gaza Friday but failed to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets across the border, as the United States offered to help negotiate a truce, according to AFP.

As the violence worsened, US President Barack Obama in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was willing to broker a ceasefire, the report added.

Obama said he was concerned the fighting could escalate and "called for all sides to do everything they can to protect the lives of civilians", the White House said.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon also appealed Thursday for an immediate ceasefire at an emergency meeting of the Security Council, saying it was "more urgent than ever" to establish a ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a similar plea in a phone call to Netanyahu, urging an immediate end to the bloodshed and expressing concern over civilian casualties.

But Israel appeared bent on dealing a fatal blow to the Islamist movement Hamas which controls Gaza, with Netanyahu reportedly saying talk of a ceasefire was "not even on the agenda," the report said. (From news reports)