The United States on Monday warned against any Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, saying it would put even more civilians at risk than are currently in the crossfire of attacks on Hamas.

But the White House stopped short of criticizing Israel over the civilian toll so far in Gaza of the offensive, saying the government had a "right" and "responsibility" to defend their citizens against rocket attacks.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Monday for Hamas to "immediately" stop rocket fire on Israel, as diplomatic efforts to halt a flare-up of violence around Gaza intensified.

"Firing rockets on Israel by Hamas should stop immediately," Steinmeier told a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh in Amman.

Washington's top diplomat is to head to the Middle East on Tuesday to throw his weight behind diplomatic efforts to end a devastating week-long conflict between ally Israel and its Islamist foe Hamas.

With Israel's punishing air campaign in its seventh day, the death toll in Gaza hit 177, prompting growing calls for a ceasefire which have so far showed little sign of progress.

The Palestinian Hamas movement said Monday that it would not end hostilities with Israel without concessions by the Jewish state and that no serious efforts towards a truce had been made.

"Talk of a ceasefire requires real and serious efforts, which we haven't seen so far," Hamas legislative member Mushir al-Masri told AFP in Gaza City.

Israel is to indict three Jewish extremists with murder over the brutal killing of a Palestinian teenager, officials said Monday, as it emerged their initial target was an eight-year-old child.

According to a statement given to Petah Tikvah magistrates court near Tel Aviv, a 29-year-old man and two minors aged 17 are to be charged on counts of murder, kidnapping with intent to murder, arson and attempted arson, all committed "on racist-nationalistic grounds," police said.

The death toll from Israel's seven-day air campaign against Gaza rose to 184 on Monday, exceeding that of the last conflict in the besieged Palestinian territory, in 2012.

Five Palestinians were killed in two separate air strikes late Monday, hiking the toll above the 177 people killed in the last major round of violence between Israel and its Islamist foe Hamas in November 2012.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat condemned on Monday the Israeli assault against the Palestinian Gaza Strip, demanding that efforts be exerted to reach a ceasefire.

He said in his weekly editorial in the PSP-affiliated al-Anbaa website: “Now is not the time to settle scores with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, but we should unite behind the Palestinian sacrifices.”

The Arab League has called on the international community to end Israeli air strikes on Gaza and to protect Palestinians, ahead of a foreign ministers' meeting later Monday.

The call, in a report to be submitted to the ministerial meeting, comes as Israel pressed its campaign of punishing raids on Gaza into a seventh day on Monday, and the Palestinian death toll rose to 172, with another 1,230 wounded.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil condemned the Israeli aggression against the Gaza strip, demanding the Arabs to take a “unified” stance to end the Israeli hostility.

“Israel is benefiting from the international silence and the Arab incompetency by continuing and increasing its attack,” Bassil warned.

Saudi Arabia has pledged 200 million riyals ($53.3 million) in humanitarian aid for the victims of the Israeli offensive against Gaza which has killed more than 170 people.

The funds will pay for medicine and medical equipment to treat "victims of the brutal Israeli aggression and bombing of the Gaza Strip," Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf said late Sunday.