Gaza City, July 26 (RHC),-- The Palestinian death toll from Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip has reached 1,030 as new attacks kill more civilians and spark the largest West Bank protests in decades. 

At least 16 civilians died and more than 200 were wounded when a United Nations shelter was bombed in the Gazan area of Beit Hanoun.  Palestinian officials have blamed Israeli tank shelling, while Israel has suggested militant rockets were at fault.  The United Nations has declined to accuse Israel directly, but UNRWA spokesperson Christopher Gunness strongly suggested Israeli shelling was responsible.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, told reporters that during a humanitarian ceasefire on Saturday, medic are busy looking for dead bodies and potential survivors under the rubbles.

A 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as Hamas and Israel accepted a UN proposal late Friday night. The temporary ceasefire will end at 8 p.m. local time.

In the meantime, officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Qatar and Turkey, as well as the UN, gathered in Paris in an effort to draft a long-term ceasefire agreement.

Israeli media said the officials called for an extension of the 12-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.