Seventeen Palestinians died since the early hours of Friday as Israeli forces carried out a series of air raids and artillery on Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
On the other hand, Israel has confirmed its first casualty since the start of Operation Protective Edge with one soldier killed on Thursday night, the Israeli military said in a statement as its ground operation, which followed 10 days of shelling, enters the second day. Circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Fifty rockets have been launched into Israel since the start of the ground operation, out of more than 1,500 since fighting began last week, the statement added.