Meanwhile, Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip continues to claim the lives of more Palestinians. At least ten people were killed and thirty wounded in Israeli strikes earlier today. The dead included a three-year old girl in the northern Gaza town of Jabalya. On Tuesday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland was in Gaza to tour Palestinian infrastructure damaged by Israeli attacks. He described Israel’s month-long campaign in Gaza as a “disproportionate use of force.” He emphasized Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s only power station.

• UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland: “With the destruction of all of the transformers of this power plant, the only plant in Gaza, the Gaza people are going through a crisis of very little water, very little electricity and this means more diarrhea, more disease, more suffering of children and civilian people. Electricity is really a line of life and hope for any society anywhere.”

In other news from Gaza, the Guardian of London is reporting Palestinian factions are coming close to an agreement to end rocket attacks on Israel and free the captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Several Palestinian factions, including members of Hamas, have reportedly agreed to a deal that would free Shalit and end rocket attacks in return for an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza and the future release of Palestinian prisoners. The deal would need approval from Hamas’ Syria-based leaders and from the Israeli government.