UN Meeting

Gaza health officials said 16 women and 10 children were among the dead.

Israel's military said it had been targeting leaders and infrastructure linked to Hamas, the militant group that runs Gaza.

Hamas launched a new barrage of rockets towards southern Israel on Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a UN Security Council meeting has begun, with international mediators hoping to broker a ceasefire.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting by describing the violence as "utterly appalling" and said the fighting must stop immediately.

The military is reported to have taken away the bodies of those killed, and the true number of deaths may never be accurately established.

Witnesses told local media that soldiers had used heavy weapons and had shot at anything that moved.

More than 600 people have been killed since last month's military coup.

The military has resorted to increasing levels of violence to maintain its grip on power.

Maiava told delegates children of the Pacific were in a good place compared to many around the world.

However he said it was distressing to have revelations of grave violations against children in the press almost daily.

Maiava spoke candidly about the amount of violence in Samoa.

"We begin through the way we raise our children to invite violence into our homes. We invite it to grow there and to flourish in our lives. The fact of the matter is, we in Samoa are potentially a violent community, just below the surface of our apparent customary tranquility."

Representing Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Foreign Minister Pato raised the issues at a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders with the United States Assistant Secretary of State, Mr Danny Russell in New York on Friday.

Minister Pato further expressed his desire for United States’ backing at the COP21 Conference in Paris this year on climate issues that are of vital significance to lives and communities in the Pacific.