Death toll in Gaza mounts to 576

GAZA - Israel's large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip has killed 576 Palestinians and injured around 3,600 others, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said on Tuesday.

Israel launched a series of airstrikes on 20 houses, facilities of a football club and open areas supposedly used for launching rockets at Israel in Gaza on early Tuesday, killing 15 Palestinians, al-Qedra said.

As of Tuesday, the death toll in Gaza has reached 576, including 154 children, 58 women and 28 old people, the spokesman said.

Bloodiest day sees Gaza death toll pass 100

On the Israeli side, one civilian and 25 soldiers -- more than twice as many as the fatalities in Israel's last Gaza ground war in 2009 -- have been killed in the tit-for-tat violence.

An Israeli soldier was also kidnapped Sunday by Hams militants during an ambush in Gaza City.

International efforts to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip are in process, but the warring sides had no intention to come to an agreement.