Israeli warplanes continue to pound the Gaza Strip and the death toll among Palestinians continues to rise, with at least 186 killed, and over 1,000 wounded in less than a week.

The exact split of the death toll is still unclear, but reports from Gaza hospitals suggest over three quarters of the victims were civilians, with a large number of women and children killed.

The ground invasion, long expected, has yet to begin, and there is no hint of when that will happen, though there seems to be zero momentum behind even considering a ceasefire.

Israeli officials say they oppose any ceasefire deal that might only last a year or two, though it is hard to imagine who they might conceivably get a guarantee of a long peace as they continue to bomb homes in the tiny strip.