Israeli army attacks on Gaza leaves eight people dead, 30 injured

Thursday January 03, 2008 11:30 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

As the Israeli army continued its offensive, which started on Thursday morning, targeting Khan Younis town located in the southern part of the Gaza strip, Palestinian sources reported that the army has killed seven Palestinians.

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Dr. Moaiya Abu Hassanain, head of the Palestinian Health Ministry emergency department in the Gaza Strip, confirmed eight people were killed and 38 others wounded, among them five in a critical condition, four of those killed are from the same family, Hassanain said.

On Thursday morning Israeli tanks backed with helicopters invaded part of Khan Younis town and opened fire at residents' homes. One of those shells hit the house of the Fayyad family, four members of the family were killed and nine others were injured, among them children,

Palestinian sources named those killed as; Karima Fayyad, 55, two of her sons Ahmad, 32, and Hamadan 23 in addition to her daughter Asma', 22, as well as Mohammad Fayyad, the family's cousin.

Killed Burhom Abu Lihya, was found between the debris of destroyed houses, right after the Israeli army withdrawal from the area, the sources said.

Meanwhile Al Qassam brigades the armed wing of Hamas reported that one of its resistance fighters Munier Barham, 23, was killed when Israeli helicopters fired six missiles at a group of resistance fighters posted in the town of Khan Younis, another 12 were injured, among them two are critical, medics said.

Palestinian medics reported that there are more injured residents in the Khan Younis town but the Israeli army is open firing at ambulances that are trying to evacuate those injured.

In eastern Gaza, an Israeli air strike killed resident Yasser Helles and wounded a number of others near the Wafa hospital in the Shijaiya neighborhood.

A second air strike hit the houses in Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip, witnesses said, adding that houses belonged to families of resistance fighters.

A third air strike struck other houses in the Khan Younis city, leaving at least four houses damaged and causing a state of panic to residents in the area.

The Israeli army has recently stepped up attacks on Gaza, since last September when Israel declared the coastal region a 'hostile entity and began imposing 'apparently' punitive measures on Gaza's 1.4 million population.

Since last June, Israel has placed Gaza under strict closure, as Israel claims its actions are intended to stop homemade shells being fired, that Palestinian resistance groups continue to launch into nearby Israeli towns. Several human rights groups worldwide have branded Israel's actions ' a collective punishment', and United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, has urged Israel to reconsider such actions.

On Thursday Palestinian resistance groups in the Gaza Strip issued statements saying that they fired several home made shells into nearby Israeli towns, Israeli sources confirmed that two shells hit the town of Ashkelon causing damage but no injures. The Palestinian resistance said the home made shells were fired in response to the Israeli attacks on Khan Younis town.

In Ramallah city located in the central West Bank, the Fatah movement headed by the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli military offensive targeting of the town of Khan Younis, calling it "harmful" to the peace efforts.

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