DHAKA: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said the attack at an UN-run Gaza school that killed 10 people was a ‘moral outrage and a criminal act’.

It constituted a ‘gross violation of international law’, Ban said.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the US was appalled by the ‘disgraceful’ shelling.

Israel has declared a ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ in most of Gaza for seven hours on Monday, reports the BBC.

Brig Gen Yoav Mordechai said the ceasefire would apply to all of the Gaza Strip except eastern Rafah from 10:00 (07:00 GMT) to 19:00.

Sunday’s blast hit the entrance of the school, which is sheltering thousands displaced by the conflict. Israel denies firing into the school.

The Israeli military said it had targeted three militants from the Islamic Jihad group on a motorbike near the school, though the group did not report any of it members killed or injured.

Government spokesman Mark Regev said that if militants were turning the vicinities of schools into war zones they should be held accountable.

Gaza health officials say 30 people have died on Sunday, while militants continue to fire rockets into Israel.

At least 30 people were also hurt on Sunday, Palestinian officials said. Images showed injured children being carried away.

Psaki called for an investigation into attacks on UN schools.

“The United States is appalled by Sunday’s disgraceful shelling outside an Unrwa school in Rafah sheltering some 3,000 displaced persons," she said in a statement.

BDST: 1030 HRS, AUG 4, 2014