Summary The new peace push came as Israel's campaign against Palestinian territory entered day 12.
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) - Fresh Israeli air strikes killed 11 people in Gaza on Saturday, hiking the death toll above 300 as UN chief Ban Ki-moon headed to the region to bolster truce efforts.
The new peace push came as Israel's campaign against the besieged Palestinian territory entered day 12 in the bloodiest conflict for several years, and the Jewish state stood poised to intensify a ground operation inside the Strip.
US President Barack Obama has supported Israel's right to defend itself, but urged it to work harder to avoid innocent deaths in an operation with a high civilian toll, including many women and children.
An early morning air strike outside a mosque in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed seven people on Saturday, including a woman, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.
Other raids shortly afterwards killed another four, bringing the total death toll to 307 Palestinians and two Israelis.
Some 2,250 Palestinians and several Israelis have been injured.
The UN said Friday Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would leave for the region Saturday in a bid to end the violence.
Ban would help Israelis and Palestinians "in coordination with regional and international actors, end the violence and find a way forward," under secretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman told emergency talks at the Security Council.
Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour read aloud the names of Palestinian dead, including women and children to the Security Council, and at one point appeared close to tears.
- Israel to expand ground assault -
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Israel's ground incursion, launched on the tenth day of an operation to stamp out rocket fire from Gaza, has killed dozens and forced thousands of people to flee.
Netanyahu said he had ordered the military to be ready for "a significant broadening of the ground activity."
Israel's armed forces chief of staff, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, said the army was "expanding the ground phase of the operation," according to a statement.
"There will be moments of hardship," he warned in a briefing to the military, anticipating further Israeli casualties.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA has opened 34 of its schools to shelter those fleeing.
It said Friday there were 47,000 Gazans seeking sanctuary with the agency.
The World Food Programme said it had already distributed emergency food rations and food vouchers to more than 20,000 displaced people.
But with the ground operation, it was gearing up for a huge increase in the coming days and hoping to reach 85,000 people with food distributions, a spokeswoman said.
Gaza was also struggling with a 70 percent power outage after electricity lines from Israel were damaged, officials said.
