Israel strikes Hamas leader's home in Gaza, destroys tower housing media outlets

Israel slammed the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, in a dramatic escalation that included bombing the home of a senior Hamas leader, killing a family of 10 in a refugee camp — most of them children — and pulverizing a high-rise that housed The Associated Press and other media. The Hamas militant group continued a stream of rocket volleys into Israel, including a late-night barrage on Tel Aviv. With a US envoy on the ground, calls increased for a cease-fire after five days of mayhem that have left at least 145 Palestinians dead in Gaza — including 41 children and 23 women — and eight dead on the Israeli side, all but one of them civilians, including a 5-year-old.

(With inputs from Associated Press)