Al-Shejaiya massacre death toll rises to 72

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the latest round of Gaza violence rose to 472, medics said, after announcing the deaths of another 34 people early Monday.

Emergency services spokesman for the Gaza Strip Ashraf al-Qudra said two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike in eastern Gaza city. He said the body of another Palestinian was found buried under a demolished home east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.

Qudra said 72 of the Palestinians had been killed on Sunday in Shejaiya, between Gaza City and the Israeli border.

Qudra said 80 percent of the Shejaiya fatalities were "old men, women and children." He said another 400 Palestinians were wounded there.

Qudra's toll included deaths over the past 15 days.

Since the Israeli military started Operation Protective Edge on July 8 in a bid to stamp out rocket fire, Palestinian militants have fired 1,414 mortars and rockets that hit Israel, with the Iron Dome air defence system intercepting another 377, the army said.

On Sunday the Israeli army said 13 soldiers had been killed inside Gaza on the third day of a major ground operation, raising to 18 the number of soldiers killed since the ground operation began late on Thursday.

Another two Israeli civilians had been killed by rocket fire from Gaza.