Gaza deaths soar to 296 on day 11 of Israel assault

Fifty-five Gazans were killed on Friday as Israel pressed a major ground offensive in the coastal enclave, raising the overall Palestinian death toll since July 8 to 296, Palestinian medics said.

The latest Palestinian deaths included three members of a family killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza's Rafah, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra.

Shortly before, eight members of a single family -- two men, two women and four children -- were killed in tank shelling on their home in northern Gaza's Beit Hanun.

Many of the deaths were in southern Khan Yunis and Rafah, where a five-month-old baby was among those killed.

Figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights show civilians account for more than 80 percent of the victims of Israel's assault since July 8.

At least 2,200 Palestinians have also been wounded.