Netanyahu says militants 'set back by years'
Diplomatic attempts to stop the bloodshed have largely failed
Israel's nine-day attack on Gaza has "pushed Hamas back several years," according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu said that Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group in charge of Gaza, had been dealt "unexpected blows" and that operations will "continue for as long as it takes to restore calm" to all Israeli people, reports BBC
On Tuesday, Palestinian militants fired rockets into southern Israel, killing two international farm workers.
Israel's air attacks on Gaza have continued. At least three Palestinians were killed by Israeli police in the West Bank during demonstrations near Ramallah.
Diplomatic attempts to stop the bloodshed have largely failed.
In coordination with Egypt and Jordan, France has sent a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel briefly opened a border crossing into Gaza to allow a convoy of aid to enter. However, the crossing was closed again after it came under fire from Palestinian mortars and rockets.
At least 215 people, including almost 100 women and children, have been killed in Gaza so far, according to its health ministry.
In Israel 12 people, including two children, have been killed, its medical service says.
On Tuesday Israel said at least 150 militants were among those killed in Gaza. Hamas does not give casualty figures for fighters.
Israel estimated that at the start of the conflict, the two Palestinian militant factions had an arsenal of about 12,000 rockets or mortars in Gaza.
As of 15:00 GMT on Tuesday, militants had fired some 3,300 rockets at Israel, of which 450 to 500 fell short, causing casualties in Gaza, an Israeli military spokesman said.
