Many children among 91 Palestinians killed in third day of Israeli airstrikes

At least 91 Palestinians were killed and many more were injured in a third day of Israeli strikes across Gaza yesterday, according to medical officials in the territory, who said many of the dead were women and children.

- Jason Burke Jerusalem Malak A Tantesh Gaza

The timing of the strikes in the new Israeli offensive appears to have increased the proportion of women and children among the victims, with many sleeping when the missiles struck overnight or early in the morning. Among those pulled alive from rubble yesterday was a month-old baby girl, but her parents and brother were killed.

A first wave of airstrikes on Tuesday shattered a two-month pause in hostilities and killed more than 400, according to the health ministry in Gaza, in what may have been the single bloodiest day of the 18-month conflict. The dead included 183 children and 94 women, officials said.

New warnings telling Palestinians to evacuate areas in the north and east of Gaza to avoid being trapped by fighting have been issued by the Israeli military, suggesting ground assaults could be imminent, although Israel appeared to be relying on air power for now. Yesterday's strikes appeared concentrated on the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis and the northern town of Beit Lahiya.