Gaza death toll tops 800

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has been spearheading efforts to try to get Israel and the Islamist militant group Hamas to agree a ceasefire, held talks with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Egyptian foreign minister in Cairo on Friday.

According to reports in the Israeli media, the latest version of the ceasefire proposal would see both sides lay down their arms for a period of several days while further talks would be held. However, the reports suggest the proposal would allow Israel to continue destroying tunnels used by militants to attack the Jewish state.

There was no indication however, that Hamas would agree to that or any other part of the proposal. The Palestinian militant group is demanding that Israel lift a seven-year-old blockade of Gaza in return for halting rocket fire. There was also no indication that Israel was prepared to move on this issue.

Officials said Kerry would hold a news conference later in the day to update reporters on what, if any progress had been made.

Israel's Security Cabinet was also to meet on Friday to consider whether to step up operations or consider accepting a truce.

Meanwhile, the bloodshed continued on Friday, with Gaza officials saying more than a dozen people had been killed in Israeli strikes on the territory, bringing the number of Palestinians killed in the past 18 days to more than 800.

Hamas and other militant groups continued to fire rockets at Israel on Friday. The IDF said via Twitter that Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system "intercepted three rockets over the Ashkelon area" on Friday.

A total of 34 Israelis, including 32 soldiers have been killed in what began strictly as an air offensive on July 8.

Deadly UN school attack

Kerry's efforts to get the two sides to agree to lay down their weapons - at least temporarily - appeared to have gained a renewed sense of urgency on Thursday, after an attack on a United Nations school in Gaza killed at least 15 people.

A spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency said it had been trying to arrange with the Israeli army an evacuation of the civilians from the school at the time of the attack.

Palestinians were quick to blame the attack on the Israeli Defense Forces, who have said they are investigating the incident. The IDF has also raised the possibility that Palestinian militants may be to blame.

West Bank clashes

Meanwhile, at least one Palestinian was killed and dozens of others injured after clashes between demonstrators protesting against the Gaza offensive and Israeli security forces broke out in the West Bank late on Thursday.

Israeli forces were placed on a heightened state of alert, after leaders of Palestinian factions called for a "day of rage" on Friday.

pfd/msh (AP, Reuters, AFP, dpa)