Dozen Palestinians, 2 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza

At least a dozen Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed overnight in the Gaza Strip.

The death toll on the 16th day of an Israeli offensive climbed to 639, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said. More than 4,000 have been injured.

Twenty-nine Israeli soldiers have died during six nights and days of ground fighting, the military said.

Israel’s transportation minister has ordered Ovda military airport, which to be opened to commercial international flights after foreign airlines cancelled flights to and from Ben-Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Post reports.

Ovda Airport is located in Beersheba, in southern Israel, which has also been under heavy Gazan rocket fire in the past few weeks.