On Wednesday Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza bombing heavily around suspected smuggling tunnels near the border with Egypt after a three-hour stop to allow in humanitarian aid.

Despite the heavy fighting, progress on the diplomatic front is being made with the U.S. supporting France and Egypt in their efforts to reach a cease fire agreement.

While the Security Council failed to reach agreement on a cease-fire resolution, Egypt's U.N. Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz said representatives of Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to meet separately with Egyptian officials in Cairo Thursday.

Israeli airstrikes killed 29 Palestinians on Wednesday after leaflets were dropped warning residents to leave the area because Hamas uses your houses to hide and smuggle military weapons.

The casualties brought the total Palestinian death toll during Israel's 12-day assault to 702 and drove home the complexities of finding a diplomatic endgame for Israel's Gaza invasion. Ten Israelis have been killed, including three civilians, since the offensive began Dec. 27.

According to Palestinian officials, of the 702 civilians killed 130 are children and 350 are civilians.

More than 5,000 people have fled the border area, seeking refuge at two U.N. schools turned into temporary shelters.

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During Wednesday's lull, Israel allowed in 80 trucks of supplies as well as industrial fuel for Gaza's power plant. Medics tried to retrieve bodies in areas that had previously been too dangerous to approach.

Egypt Israel