A 16-year-old Palestinian boy has died in the latest Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. Over 50 Palestinians have died over the past six days. On Saturday an Israeli sniper shot dead a 12-year-old girl. On Friday Israeli troops killed two volunteer paramedics with the Palestinian ambulance service. They were both 17 years old. The International Red Cross said it was appalled by Israel’s failure to protect personnel engaged in emergency medical duties. Israel has vowed to continue its offensive that it claims is needed to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of committing genocide.

• Ismail Haniyeh: “These massacres are committed from the highest command of the Israeli government, for that we call upon the Arab and Islamic world and the International community to stand in front of their responsibilities and conscious and to stand in front of the killing of the people, the women, and the children, the destruction and the aggressions. What is happening is a programmed genocide for the Palestinian people.”

The Finnish presidency of the European Union warned against the “disproportionate use of violence”. Pope Benedict XVI appealed for a halt to the bloodshed.

• Pope Benedict XVI : “It is with deep worry that I am following the news about the grave deterioration of the situation in Gaza and I want to express my closeness to the civilian populations who are suffering the consequences of acts of violence.”