An Israeli army incursion into southern Gaza leaves 6 dead, 19 injured

Tuesday December 11, 2007 21:16 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC

Palestinian medical sources reported on Tuesday that six Palestinians have been killed and 19 others wounded, during an Israeli army ground offensive on southern Gaza Strip today.

Dr. Moa'wiya Abu Hasanin, chief of emergency room of the health ministry, told the IMEMC that a number of the wounded had to undergo surgery to amputate limbs and that majority of those killed had burns all over their bodies.

Witnesses said that early on Tuesday a column of Israeli tanks rolled into eastern Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip, cutting off the Salah Eldin main road, as soldiers took positions over rooftops of nearby houses.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, confirmed in a statement, emailed to IMEMC, that a photojournalist, was moderately wounded by the Israeli army fire during coverage of today's attack.

Sources at the Palestinian resistance factions confirmed the death of six resistance
members, of whom three belonged to the Saraya aL-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad and the others were members of the Salah Eldin brigades, of the Popular Resistance Committees.

In statements, faxed to press, the factions pointed out that the resistance fighters clashed with the invading forces, firing rocket-propelled grenades.

Israeli media sources reported that at least two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured.

An Israeli army spokesperson said that the attack on Rafah was a part of routine Israeli army actions into the coastal region.

Speaking earlier to IMEMC, Kamal Mousa, spokesperson of the Gaza-European hospital, made clear that most of the injuries were deadly, as burns appeared on the bodies, while many features of the corpses received by his hospital were unclear.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, demanding an immediate halt of all Israeli actions across the Hamas-run coastal region.

Taher aL-Nunu, spokesperson of the Hamas-dominated government, criticized in a statement the last month's Annapolis conference, calling on the West Bank-based Palestinian government to suspend contacts with Israel.

Palestinian media reports suggest that the Israeli army has killed 40 Palestinians; the majority of them were in Gaza, following the U.S-hosted peace meet in Annapolis, Maryland, United States.

In September, the Israeli government declared Gaza a ' hostile entity', imposing a series of apparently 'punitive measures' against the 1.4-million-strong population, including underway fuel supplies cut and further tightening of a six-month-old siege.

Israeli military has recently warned of what it called ' attrition operations' against the Gaza Strip, in what Israel says a bid to prevent Palestinian homemade shells fire from Gaza onto nearby southern Israeli towns.

gaza strip | israeli attacks | news report rami at imemc dot org