(AKI) - A key militant from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziad Abu Tir, was killed on Monday on the third-day of Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, as the United Nations called for an end to the violence.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called for an end to hostilities in the Palestinian territories, as thousands of people took to the streets around the world to protest against the violence in Gaza. At least 320 people have been killed and another 1,400 have been injured in the Israeli raids.
Another airstrike destroyed the home of Palestinian militant Maher Zaqout, senior member of the Islamist movement Hamas' Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. Zaqout was not at home at the time of the strike. However, seven people including several member of his immediate family were reportedly killed.
Palestinian militants fired at least 50 home-made Qassam rockets at southern Israel on Monday, killing one Israeli.
In the Lebanese capital Beirut, tens of thousands of people protested against the ongoing Israeli raids. The protest was organised by the militant Hezbollah movement and called by the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah. "It is a mistake to think that this war is against Hamas, it is against the Palestinian resistance," Nasrallah said.
At least 5,000 people gathered in the Jordanian capital Amman and burned American and Israeli flags. They marched towards the office of Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Dahabi, urging Jordan to scrap its peace agreement with Israel reached in 1994.
Protests were also held in countries including Venezuela, Chile, Pakistan, Indonesia, Syria, Egypt, Iran and Iraq and throughout Europe. At least 1,500 people gathered for violent protests near the Israeli embassy in London. Other protests were held in Spain, Denmark, Italy, France and the United States.
Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Monday that hospitals in Gaza were "overburdened" as they struggled to cope with the influx of casualties. "We are completely overwhelmed by the number of people coming in with very serious injuries. I have never seen anything like this," said the head of the surgical ward of Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City.