Efforts by diplomats to broker a ceasefire between Israel and armed Palestinian groups in Gaza gathered pace even as the deadly fighting between both groups entered its 11th day.

According to officials who spoke to AFP, Israel's security cabinet was due to meet on Thursday evening to discuss a potential ceasefire with the Hamas Islamist movement ruling the coastal strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to attend the meeting along with other top security officials.

A call by US President Joe Biden for a "significant de-escalation" preceded news of the security meeting as pressure mounted on both sides to end the conflict.

Netanyahu had earlier pledged to soldier on until the military campaign reaches its objective, "to restore quiet and security" for Israelis.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called the continued attacks between both sides "unacceptable" and told the UN General Assembly that "the fighting must stop immediately".

A senior unnamed official from Hamas said he expected a return to calm "in the coming hours, or tomorrow (Friday)" but added that it depended on the cessation of the aggression of the occupation forces in Gaza and Jerusalem.

"But there is nothing definitive for the moment," the official told AFP.

A diplomatic source revealed to AFP that the UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland was visiting Qatar for discussions with Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, as part of an effort to "restore calm".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who spoke to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Thursday, said "indirect talks" were crucial to a peace settlement.

"Of course Hamas has to be included, because without Hamas there will be no ceasefire," Merkel said.

Even as the diplomacy efforts intensified, the Gaza health ministry said five more people were killed from Israeli strikes taking the death toll from such strikes since May 10 to 232.

About 1,900 people have been injured in the strikes and about 120,000 others have been displaced, according to Hamas authorities.

Israel maintains it takes all steps to avoid civilian casualties, including by phoning residents to warn them of imminent strikes, and blames Hamas for placing weapons and military sites in densely populated areas.

The Israeli army, meanwhile, said Hamas and other Islamist armed groups in Gaza have fired 4,070 rockets towards Israel, but the overwhelming majority of those headed for populated areas were intercepted by its Iron Dome air defences.

(With input from agencies)