Gaza toll hits 247 on day 11 of Israeli campaign

The death toll in Gaza hit 247 early on Friday as Israel pressed a ground offensive on the 11th day of a massive operation to stamp out militant rocket fire.

The latest death included a woman in the southern city of Rafah raising Friday's death toll to six, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Earlier, Israeli tank fire killed three people in several separate incidents in Rafah, including a five-month-old baby, Qudra said.

In northern Gaza, two men were killed in tank shelling in Beit Hanun, he said.

According to figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, more than 80 percent of the victims were civilians.

At least 1,690 Palestinians have also been wounded.

Since the Israeli operation began before dawn on July 8, at least 1,150 rockets fired from Gaza have struck Israel, and another 311 have been shot down by the Iron Dome air defence system, army figures show.

On the Israeli side, one civilian was killed by rocket fire earlier this week, and another four have been seriously injured.