Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 130 Palestinians in the past 48 hours

CAIRO - At least 130 Palestinians were killed and 263 wounded in the past 48 hours of Israel's offensive on Gaza, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Saturday.

Israel has resumed bombing and ground operations in the Gaza Strip as it presses the Palestinian militant group Hamas to free remaining Israeli hostages.

The governments of Germany, France and Britain called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza in a joint statement on Friday that also called on Israel to restore humanitarian access.

"We call on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law", the foreign ministers of the three countries, known as the E3, said in a statement.

The ministers said they were "appalled by the civilian casualties", and also called on Palestinian Hamas militants to release Israeli hostages.

They said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could not be resolved through military means, and that a long-lasting ceasefire was the only credible pathway to peace.

The ministers added that they were "deeply shocked" by the incident that affected the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) building in Gaza, and called for an investigation into the incident.