Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon killed two children, and at least twelve others, bringing the day’s death toll to 21.

An airstrike on Kishku street in the Zaitoun neighborhood killed two children, medics said.

At least six Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on two cars in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood. Three others were critically injured.

Israeli warplanes fired missiles on the cars, entirely destroying one of the vehicles, witnesses said.

The remains of the victims were brought to Gaza hospital. Three were identified by medics as Subhi Dughmush, Salah Dughmush and Ahmad Dughmush.

Two Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on Wihda Tower in Gaza City, and two others injured.

Three people died when an airstrike struck the city’s Shujaiyya neighborhood, and twenty others were injured.

In north Gaza, a man was killed by an airstrike in Beit Hanoun, medics added.

Since the Israeli bombardment started on Wednesday, 139 Palestinians have been killed, and over 900 injured. Three Israelis died in a rocket attack last Thursday.

Israeli jets continued to pound the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, as rockets flew into southern Israel, wounding one soldier. Hamas’ military wing claimed responsibility for firing rockets at Jerusalem, and two missiles were witnessed landing nearby in the West Bank.

Ceasefire Efforts

Meanwhile, Egypt was trying to broker a truce between Israel and groups in Gaza.

Egyptian President Muhammad Mursi said Tuesday that “Israeli aggression” against Gaza would end later in the day, according to the Egyptian state news agency MENA.

“President Muhammad Mursi announced that the farce of Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip will end on Tuesday,” MENA said, quoting public remarks made by the country’s head of state after the funeral of his sister.

“The efforts to conclude a truce between the Palestinian and Israeli sides will produce positive results in the next few hours,” he was quoted as saying.

Earlier, an Egyptian intelligence source said “there is still no breakthrough and Egypt is working to find middle ground.”

In Cairo, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire and said an Israeli ground operation in Gaza would be a “dangerous escalation” that must be avoided.

He had held talks in Cairo with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi and Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil before traveling to Israel for discussions with its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The attacks happened as a delegation of Arab ministers, led by Egypt’s foreign minister, were visiting the Gaza Strip in a show of solidarity with Gaza.

(Ma’an)