Two hours before the truce: One Palestinian killed two injured as the army attacked Gaza

Thursday June 19, 2008 17:51

by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Israeli army conducted several air attacks targeting different areas in the Gaza Strip on Thursday at dawn, one killed and two injured local sources reported.

a Palestinian man killed by the Israeli army fire in Gaza - File 2008- photo by WAFA

Witnesses said that a Palestinian resistance fighter was killed and two others injured when Israeli F16 jet fighters shelled areas in the central part of the Gaza Strip.

On Wednesday night six Palestinians were injured when Israeli jet fighters attacked a group of resistance men gathered in Gaza City.

The dawn attack came only two hours before the truce deal between Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip since June 2007, and Israel took effect.

Israel has announced late on Tuesday that it accepted the truce deal with Hamas that was mediated by Egypt. The Egyptian-mediated ceasefire stipulates that Hamas, which controls Gaza since June 2007, will halt the fire of homemade shells into Israeli territory, in exchange for Israel lifting the 12 month-blockade and ceasing all military attacks against the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, stated on Tuesday that it is too early right now to say that Egypt brokered a truce deal between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in the Gaza Strip. Barak added that Israel will examine the possibility of reaching calm but cannot determine how long this deal, if fully achieved, will last.

According to the deal, the truce will take effect on Thursday morning for six months and will only include the Gaza Strip and not the West Bank. Both Hamas and Israel have announced that they agree on the conditions.