UN calls for ceasefire in Gaza as Israeli troops prepare for ground attack after airstrikes hit mosque 'that was hiding Hamas weapons'

• Thousands of soldiers moved into new position on Gaza border today in preparation for possible ground attack
• UN has called for a ceasefire though members were previously divided on the matter, also restarted peace talks
• Donning military gear and carrying rifles, they set up on the border before firing shells towards members of Hamas
• Comes just hours after Israeli airstrikes hit mosque that was allegedly being used to hide Islamist group's weapons
• Palestinian death toll now stands at 145 with more than 920 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry
• Most Palestinians were living in terror today as conflict waged on, but others took opportunity to go to local beach
• Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that there is 'still more to go' in the five-day conflict
• International leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama have urged Mr Netanyahu to halt the Israeli offensive
• Arab foreign ministers will reportedly hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday to discuss deadly conflict

By Sophie Jane Evans and Ian Birrell

Published: 05:26 EST, 12 July 2014 | Updated: 19:37 EST, 12 July 2014

The UN Security Council has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians on the Gaza Strip, as the death toll passes 140.

The 15-member organisation issued a statement calling for a 'de-escalation' in the conflict, the 'restoration of calm' and a resumption of Middle East peace talks.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said he would hold talks with his US, French and German counterparts tomorrow, and called for 'urgent, concerted international action'.

But despite the developments, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu last night vowed to press on with the campaign until there is a halt to rocket attacks from Gaza. 

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Fear: Hundreds of Israelis have been forced to take shelter as regular missile sirens sound through Tel Aviv. The UN Security Council has now called for a ceasfire

Relentless: Despite the calls, Israel vows to press on with plans for a ground attack and Gaza-based missiles continue to launch, forcing Israelis into shelters (pictured)

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Preparation: Israel is massing its troops on the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground attack - just hours after its airforce struck a mosque that was allegedly being used to hide Hamas's weapons. Above, Israeli lorries are pictured transporting tanks on a road leading to southern Israel, today

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Well-protected: Donning military gear and carrying rifles, thousands of soldiers moved into a new position on the border on the fifth day of the deadly conflict

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Catastrophic: Smoke rises after Israeli artillery fired shells at the industrial area of Karni, in the east of Gaza City, this afternoon. It is the fifth day of the deadly conflict

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Plume of smoke: The smoke in Karnia, east Gaza, is photographed from a distance. The death toll in the Gaza Strip now stands at 121, most of whom were civilians

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Emergency response: Palestinian firefighters are pictured trying to put out a fire after Israeli tanks fired shells at the industrial area of Karni, in the east of Gaza today

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Burning: Firefighters in bright orange vests attempt to extinguish a massive fire at a UN storehouse following an Israeli military strike in an area west of Gaza City

Israel has massed thousands of troops along the border in preparation for a possible ground invasion.

It came just hours after its air force struck a mosque that was allegedly being used to hide Hamas's weapons.

Donning military gear and carrying rifles, thousands of soldiers moved into a new position on the border on the fifth day of the deadly conflict. 

Troops were spotted transporting armoured vehicles along the border, before setting up and firing shells towards members of the militant group Hamas.

The latest move is in preparation for a potential ground offensive, with some 33,000 reservists mobilised out of 40,000 approved by Israel's cabinet.

Despite previously disagreeing on the matter, all 15 members of the UN security council have now backed a 'de-escalation', calling for calm to be restored and peace talks to resume.

The military claimed the mosque had been used by Hamas to conceal rockets - just metres away from another religious building and civilian homes. 

William Hague said Israel had a right to defend itself from rocket attacks but urged both sides to work to restore a ceasefire and said Britain stands ready to provide what support it can.

Palestinians have put the death toll at more than 125 after Israel widened its air strikes on the Gaza Strip as Hamas continued to launch hundreds of rockets.

Blaze of light: Israeli residents, mostly from the southern Israeli city of Sderot, sit on a hill overlooking the Gaza Strip where militants continue to fight

Refuge: People have taken shelter in Tel Aviv's main shopping mall as threats of incoming rockets persist despite calls for peace talk from the UN

Mr Hague said: 'I told minister Lieberman that continuing rocket attacks from Gaza are completely unacceptable. Israel has a right to defend itself against such attacks, but the whole world wanted to see de-escalation.

'I welcomed president Abbas's call for a ceasefire agreed by both sides, and urged him to do all he could to help bring this about. I offered my condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza.'

Mr Hague will talk to international counterparts, including US secretary of state John Kerry, about the need for 'urgent, concerted' action to secure a ceasefire.

'The current crisis only underlines the need for a fundamental transformation of the situation in Gaza, including the restoration of Palestinian Authority control, the opening up of legitimate movement and access, and a permanent end to the unacceptable threat of rocket attacks and other forms of violence from Gaza against Israel,' he added.

'It is also a stark reminder of the need to make progress toward a permanent peace, based on the two-state solution. However difficult that looks at this time, there is no alternative that can deliver peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

'This is a time for bold leadership. Both sides should take the necessary steps towards a lasting peace and to address the underlying causes of the conflict and instability in Gaza. I stressed that the UK stands ready to do all it can to support this goal.'

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Help: Thousands of Palestinians were living in terror today as the battle between the military and Hamas waged on - with dozens rushed to hospital after being injured by airstrikes, shelling and rockets. Above, a wounded boy is assisted by medics in an ambulance before being taken to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza

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Victim: A Palestinian man, who was wounded today in an Israeli airstrike, lies on a stretcher in an ambulance before being given the permission to cross into Egypt

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Traumatised: Social worker Selva, 63, was badly injured after her employer Beit Lahia Disability and Rehabilitation Services' headquarters were destroyed in an airstrike

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Treatment: May Hamade, 30, managed to escape alive from the building of Beit Lahia Disability and Rehabilitation Services, but was injured and needed hospital treatment

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In mourning: A relative of Palestinian Mahmoud Al-Suveyti, who was killed in an Israeli air attack, cries during his funeral ceremony in Gaza City this afternoon

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Distraught: The relatives of four Palestinians who were killed at Jabalia Refugee Camp following Israeli airstrikes mourn their loved ones during a funeral in Gaza City

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Shocking: Palestinian medics are pictured carrying an injured man at a hospital in Beit Lahia on the northern Gaza Strip following an Israeli air strike today

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Streams of blood: Palestinians are photographed washing blood from a sidewalk where seven Palestinians where killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City today

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Contrast: Astonishingly, some locals chose to not let the conflict get in the way of a warm, sunny day - and flocked to a beach in the city of Tel Aviv, Israel, to sunbathe

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Leaving their troubles behind: Sporting skimpy clothing, the beachgoers relaxed on sunbeds, read books and played bat and ball just 44 miles away from the Gaza Strip

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Carefree: Two women and two men play bat and ball on a beach on the fifth day of the conflict. Less than 50 miles away, Israeli troops were massing on the Gaza border

The military said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Gaza militant groups systematically 'abused' religious buildings to conceal weapons and establish a number of underground tunnel networks.

'Hamas terrorists systematically exploit and choose to put Palestinians in Gaza in harm's way and continue to locate their positions among civilian areas and mosques, proving once more their disregard for human life and holy sites,' said Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner, a military spokesman. 

He added that the overnight airstrikes had struck 'several terrorists conspiring to launch rockets at Israel' and 'a weapons cache concealed within a mosque in the central Gaza Strip'. 

However, Hamas said the military had struck two mosques in a series of 'barbaric' airstrikes which would hopefully galvanise support in the Muslim world. 

'The bombing of two mosques in Gaza overnight shows how barbaric this enemy is and how much is it hostile to Islam,' said Husam Badran, a Hamas spokesman in Doha, Qatar.

'This terrorism gives us the right to broaden our response to deter this occupier.'

Military spokesman General Moti Almoz said he expected the air campaign to continue at least throughout today and tomorrow, as there were still 'many targets to attack'.

Israeli strike on Gaza kills a boy and 10 other Palestinians

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• • Watch video

    Crying baby girl is rescued from rubble in Northern Syria

    

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Rubble: The Israeli military confirmed it had hit a mosque during overnight airstrikes, claiming the site had concealed rockets just metres away from another religious building and civilian homes. Above, a Palestinian girl walks amid the rubble of the destroyed Al-Tawfeeq mosque following the airstrikes

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Aftermath: The military said Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups systematically 'abused' religious buildings to conceal weapons. Above, men at the mosque

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Destroyed: However, Hamas said the military had struck two mosques in a series of 'barbaric' airstrikes which would hopefully galvanise support in the Muslim world

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Destroyed: The Government launched its offensive in Gaza, controlled by the Islamist group, five days ago in a bid to stop relentless rocket fire on its citizens. Above, a woman carries a small child as she walks past the rubble of the destroyed Al-Tawfeeq mosque

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Wrecked: Aerial footage shows the wrecked mosque (left), which was allegedly being used to conceal Hamas's weapons, while a man inspects the rubble (right)

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Victims: So far, more than 120 people have been killed in the offensive - with over 920 people wounded, according to Gaza's Healthy Ministry. Above, two men emerge from a house that was hit by an Israeli airstrike last night, killing five people

'In parallel, we are preparing the next parts of the operation, readying the forces to enter on the ground,' he told public radio this morning.

It comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with his country's military campaign, saying there is 'still more to go'.

Speaking yesterday, Mr Netanyahu defended the attacks by his Israeli forces, saying they are part of a determined effort to halt rocket fire by militants.

He added that Hamas was to blame for the high number of civilian casualties for hiding in residential areas and targeting Israeli population centers.

Mr Netanyahu's comments came amid growing pressure from a number of international leaders to cease the military campaign - with the number of casualties growing every day.

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Explosion: Smoke rises over Rafah in the early hours of today following the airstrikes by the Israeli military. The five-day offensive shows no signs of slowing down

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Father and son: Residents of the southern Israeli city of Beersheva inspect the damage to a house in their city after it was hit by a rocket fired during the night

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Negotiating his way: A young boy is pictured carefully walking over rubble outside the house, which was hit by a rocket from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants

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Attracting crowds: A Palestinian boy rides a bike past the destroyed house in the southern city of Beersheva as other locals flock to look and take pictures of it

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Demolished: A bulldozer is pictured removing debris as rescue workers search for victims under the rubble of a house that was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike last night

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Gaping hole: The airstrikes come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with his country's military campaign, saying there is 'still more to go'. Above, a Palestinian man is pictured inspecting a damaged building today

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Blood-stained: Speaking yesterday, Netanyahu defended the attacks by his Israeli forces, saying that they are part of a determined effort to halt rocket fire by militants. Above, a Palestinian man inspects the rubble of a building that was hit by an Israeli air strike

But the politician said he had been in touch with numerous world leaders, including President Barack Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Canada, and had told them that no other country would tolerate repeated fire on its citizens.

'No international pressure will prevent us from acting with all power,' he added.

Dismissing a question about possible cease-fire efforts he said: 'I will end it when our goals are realized. And the overriding goal is to restore the peace and quiet.'

He also said he would not rule out the possibility of expanding the campaign of mostly aerial attacks into a ground war in Gaza, answering when asked whether such a move was possible that 'we are weighing all possibilities and preparing for all possibilities.'

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Family: A Palestinian family stand at the balcony of their house today as they look at a neighboring building which was targeted in an Israeli military strike in Gaza City

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Surrounded by wreckage: Palestinian children stand on the roof of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip today

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Mess: A Palestinian man searches the rubble of a centre for the disabled that was destroyed in a missile strike. It features posters soliciting donations for the centre

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Waiting: Injured Palestinians wait to be taken to Al-Shifa Hospital after ongoing Israeli air attacks, which have brought the Palestinian death toll to more than 120

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Hospital: Mr Netanyahu said Hamas was to blame for the high number of civilian casualties for hiding in residential areas and targeting Israeli population centers

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Injured: His comments came amid growing pressure from a number of international leaders to cease the military campaign - with the number of casualties growing daily

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Sleeping: Israelis lay on makeshift beds as they hide in a bomb shelter in Beersheva today after nearby houses were hit by rockets launched by Palestinian militants

During the five-day conflict, Gaza militants have fired nearly 700 rockets and mortars toward Israel.

However, the 'Iron Dome', a U.S.-funded, Israel-developed rocket defense system, has intercepted more than 130 incoming rockets, preventing any Israeli fatalities so far.

On the other hand, Israel's military says it has struck more than 1,100 targets, including rocket launchers, command centers and weapon manufacturing and storage facilities, delivering a devastating blow to the Islamic militants.

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Hurt: A man carries his wounded son into Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza yesterday

This week, an air strike on a house in the city of Gaza killed a man described by Palestinian officials as a doctor and pharmacist. Medics and residents said an aircraft also bombed a three-storey house in the southern town of Rafah, killing five people.

Meanwhile, dozens of homes have been targeted in attacks that have sent Palestinian families living nearby running into the streets in panic. Explosions echo constantly across the densely populated territory.

The offensive is the heaviest fighting since a similar eight-day campaign in November 2012, when around 180 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during an Israeli air campaign to punish Hamas for missile attacks.

That conflict was eventually halted with mediation from Egypt, which was then governed by Hamas's Muslim Brotherhood allies.

But Egypt, now ruled by the Brotherhood's enemies, is today locked in a feud with Hamas over the group's alleged support for militants in Egypt's Sinai desert - something Hamas denies.

Cairo said on Friday its 'intensive efforts with all sides to end the warfare has met only 'intransigence and stubbornness'.

The latest conflict follows the kidnappings and killings of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank, as well as the kidnapping and killing of a Palestinian teenager in an apparent revenge attack.

Yesterday, the Israeli military started the process of massing thousands of troops along the border in preparation for a possible ground invasion - prompting Palestinian militants to warn international airlines that they plan to fire rockets at Tel Aviv's main airport.

The airport has been fully operational since the Israeli offensive began and international airlines have continued to fly in, with no reports of rockets from Gaza - largely inaccurate projectiles - landing anywhere near the facility, inland of the coastal metropolis. It is within an area covered by Iron Dome.

Israeli military commander, Lieutenant-General Benny Gantz, said yesterday his forces were ready to act as needed - an indication of a readiness to send in tanks and other ground troops into Gaza, as Israel last did for two weeks in early 2009.

'We are in the midst of an assault and we are prepared to expand it as much as is required, to wherever is required, with whatever force will be required and for as long as will be required,' Gantz added.

Today, a senior Arab league official said Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday to discuss the continued Israeli offensive and measures to urge the international community to pressure Israel.

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Protest: A Palestinian woman shouts at Israeli soldiers as she confronts them during a protest against the Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip at the Howwara checkpoint today

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Angry: Other protesters hold signs and flags as they protest against the conflict, which is now on its fifth day, at the checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus

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Helping out: Palestinians civil defense personnel are joined by members of the public as they examine the rubble of the house hit by an Israeli air strike yesterday

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Lost: During the five-day conflict, Gaza militants have fired nearly 700 rockets and mortars toward Israel. However, the 'Iron Dome', a U.S.-funded, Israel-developed rocket defense system, has intercepted more than 130 incoming rockets, preventing any Israeli fatalities so far. Above, a Palestinian man rests his chin in his hands

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Offensive: On the other hand, Israel's military says it has struck more than 1,100 targets, including rocket launchers, command centers and weapon manufacturing and storage facilities, delivering a devastating blow to Islamic militants. Above, locals look at a plume of smoke after the airstrikes and a man examines a destroyed building

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Panic: Dozens of homes have been targeted in the violent attacks by Israeli forces that have sent Palestinian families living nearby running into the streets in panic

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Ruined: The five-day offensive is the heaviest fighting since a similar eight-day campaign in November 2012, when around 180 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed

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Examining the rubble: A senior Arab league official said Arab foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Cairo on Monday to discuss the continued Israeli conflict

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas requested the meeting, which was approved by several Arab foreign ministers in coordination with the Arab League. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians and their international supporters are discussing a United Nations draft resolution that would condemn all violence against civilians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and call for 'an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire'.

However, the Palestinian draft makes no mention of the firing of hundreds of rockets into Israel by Hamas, likely making it unacceptable to the United States if it was introduced in the U.N. Security Council.