Explosions light up the sky in Gaza yet another night.<br/> <br />Clouds of smoke hug the horizon and the now familiar sound of Israeli artillery and tank shelling fills the air.<br/> <br />Israel launched its ground offensive against Hamas militants on Thursday after air and naval barrages failed to stop Palestinian rocket fire.<br/> <br />Homes and work places have been destroyed and people displaced.<br/> <br />But it's the human cost that's hardest hit.<br/> <br />Some 630 Palestinians have died in the fighting. Most of them children and civilians.<br/> <br />On the Israeli side around 30 soldiers and two civilians have been killed.<br/> <br />UN chief Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry are in the region to secure a ceasefire.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL, SAYING:<br/> <br />"A ceasefire is essential - but without addressing the deeper issues, we will never solve the problem, we will merely delay it for yet another time. The cycle will continue, except the bitter
