The Hamas government has ordered Palestinian security forces to fight back as Israel widens its assault on the Gaza Strip. Clashes on Thursday led to the deadliest day of violence since Israel withdrew from Gaza last year. At least twenty-four Palestinians have been killed in air strikes and clashes with soldiers. The dead include a reported six Palestinian civilians in a missile strike near the town of Beit Lahiya. An Israeli soldier was also killed in the fighting. Meanwhile, Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Jenin, killing a 16-year-old Palestinian and wounding several others. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat appealed for international help.

• Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat: “To have 20 Palestinians killed in less than six hours, thats a huge number. That reflects the grave deteriorating situation on the ground, that reflects a serious Israeli military escalation. And you know the international community cannot continue just watching things as if nothing is happening. We’re a people with no armies, no navy, no airforce, and we are an international responsibility.”

Israel says its launched the offensive to recover the captured soldier Gilad Shalit and to halt rocket attacks that have hit neighboring Israeli towns. On Thursday, Israel rejected a new offer from Shalit’s captors to free him in return for the release of all Palestinian females inside Israeli prisons. Israel says it will not negotiate and has vowed to continue the offensive. Meanwhile at the United Nations, the recently-created Human Rights Council voted Thursday to demand Israel end its assault. And in a correction to a story we reported Wednesday, Democracy Now wrongly identified the country that condemned Israel for carrying out collective punishment in Gaza. The country is Switzerland, not Sweden.