Israeli attacks in Gaza kill 11 Palestinians

Friday July 06, 2007 09:26 by R. P. - IMEMC Editorial Group and agencies

Israeli attacks in the area of the al-Mughazi and al-Barij refugee camps in central Gaza yesterday killed 11 Palestinians and wounded more than 25.

A man tries to help an Al-Aqsa cameraman after he was shot by Israeli troops

Israeli troops entered the area in the early hours of Thursday morning, and withdrew later that night. The attacks occurred about a kilometre into Gaza.

The wounded included children and a cameraman for Al-Aqsa television, a Hamas-affiliated satellite channel, who was shot numerous times by Israeli troops and later had to have both of his legs amputated.

In a separate incident, Israeli troops also fired on a rooftop where several journalists, including a Reuters’ camera crew, were filming. No injuries were reported.

There were reports that Israeli troops had used ambulance workers as human shields as they exited, though an Israeli military spokesman claimed not to know anything about the incident.

Deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh condemned the attacks as a "military escalation" and a "criminal massacre", asserting the right of Palestinians to an armed response.

Sources identified nine of the Palestinians killed as members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. The tenth was identified as a member of Islamic Jihad and the eleventh as a civilian. The dead include Mohammad Seyam, 35; Ahmad Al Qeyrawani, 20; Mohammad Al Ewaydat, 23; Ahmad Abu Jalad, 20; Mohammad Abu Arqood, 23; Mahmood Noor, 22; and Mostafa Manour, 22.

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