Students walk out of New York University to rally in support of Palestinians as Israel faces growing international pressure to rethink plans for a massive ground operation with alarm growing over the spiralling death toll in the Gaza Strip. Israel has been bombarding the Palestinian enclave since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across the border killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 222 others, officials say. More than 6,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry, and there are fears the toll could soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES