Gaza pummeled by fresh strikes

UN chief says fighting 'utterly appalling', amid international pleas for de-escalation

GAZA CITY－Israeli airstrikes hammered the Gaza Strip on Monday after a week of violence that has killed more than 200 people, bucking international calls to de-escalate the violence.

The strikes rocked the Hamas-ruled enclave from north to south for 10 minutes in an attack that was heavier, over a wider area, and lasted longer than a series of air raids 24 hours earlier.

Israel's army said in a statement it hit the homes of nine "high-ranking" Hamas commanders, without providing details on casualties.