Death toll rises in Israel-Gaza conflict as France proposes ceasefire By AFP Share Heavy air strikes and rocket fire in the Israel-Gaza conflict have claimed more lives on both sides as calls intensified for an end to the bloodshed. A UN Security Council meeting broke up on Tuesday without issuing a statement, but France then said it had proposed a resolution calling for a ceasefire, in coordination with Israelâs neighbours Egypt and Jordan. Zhang Jun, Beijingâs ambassador to the UN, told reporters his team had heard the French ceasefire proposal and China was âsupportiveâ. Sporadic bombardment of Gaza city continued after midnight, with residents kept awake as Israeli jets flew low overhead, an AFP correspondent in the besieged coastal strip said.