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It's Morning Edition from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
And I'm Renee Montagne. The fighting goes on in Gaza, as diplomats try to find a way to stop it. The UN Secretary-General arrived in Egypt today, joining special envoy Tony Blair on the diplomatic front. In a moment, we'll talk with Mr. Blair about what must happen to reach a cease-fire. But on the ground, conditions inside Gaza deteriorated further. The death toll is approaching 1,000, and complaints are mounting about Israel's use of phosphorus bombs. NPR's Anne Garrels has more from Jerusalem.
ANNE GARRELS: Every day this goes on, casualties mount, supplies diminish and there are fewer and fewer safe places for those trapped inside. UN Relief and Works Agency spokesman Chris Gunness says Israel is still not permitting adequate supplies to go in through its crossing points. He says aid workers cannot do their job.
CHRIS GUNNESS: Delivering aid in Gaza right now is becoming more and more problematic as each air attack happens and as each rocket flies out of Gaza. We have a million people without electricity. That includes us. We have between nine and ten thousand workers. We have 750,000 people without water. Of course, that includes us. We have vast swathes of northern Gaza completely cut-off from our aid.
GARRELLS: He calls the daily three-hour cease-fire, which is regularly violated, beyond inadequate. Eyewitnesses report the growing use of phosphorus bombs by Israel. They're used to illuminate targets at night or create a smoke screen for day attack. They're not banned, but Fred Abrahams with Human Rights Watch has seen artillery shells explode in midair over densely populated areas. He says the phosphorus then fans down like the tentacles of a jellyfish.
FRED ABRAHAMS: It has an indiscriminate effect because it comes down and burns, and when it touches the skin it can, in cases, burn to the bone. So when used in open areas as an obscurant, it's lawful. But if it's used in populated areas, it raises huge questions because of its indiscriminate impact on civilians.
GARRELLS: At Gaza's Shiva Hospital, doctors describe how the face of one young burn victim was almost melted. Doctor Nafiz abu Shaban(ph) says there's little he can do for the growing number of burn patients, among them many children.
NAFIZ ABU SHABAN: The site of burn continues to - produces smoke and burning for long time, even after dressing. Other cases, it causes severe destruction of the tissues. Even amputation of the limbs.
GARRELLS: The International Committee of the Red Cross says it has no hard evidence Israel is deliberately targeting civilians with phosphorus. However, it knows evidence is still limited because of the difficulties of gaining access to Gaza. Ahead of the secretary-general's arrival in the region, Israel's ambassador to the UN wrote him, saying it's Hamas that is violating international law by deliberately endangering civilians, using them as human shields. Hamas continues to rocket Israel, but the number of attacks is way down, from about 60 a day at the beginning, to 15 yesterday. The Israeli Army chief of staff says Israel has achieved a lot in hitting Hamas and its infrastructure. But he says there is still work ahead. Anne Garrells, NPR News Jerusalem.