Israeli army wounds an elderly Palestinian in southern Gaza

Wednesday June 25, 2008 16:12 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli army shot and wounded on Wednesday morning a Palestinian elderly man in southern Gaza Strip, less than 24 hours after homemade shells hit the nearby Israeli town of Sderot, as a truce deal between Palestinians and Israel has been agreed upon since last Thursday.

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Palestinian medical sources confirmed that Salem Abu Raida, 80, was wounded with several live bullets in the shoulder and that he was transferred to hospital for medical attention.

Witnesses said that Abu Raida was near his house, which is located close to the Israel-Gaza border lines in the Khuza'a village in southeastern Gaza Strip, when the Israeli soldiers, manning the borders, shot him.

This new Israeli shooting came less than 24 hours after two Palestinian homemade shells landed in the nearby Israeli town of Sderot.

The Islamic Jihad's armed wing in Gaza said the firing of shells was an exception and came in response to an Israeli army assassination of a West Bank-based leader of the group.

Also on Wednesday morning, Israel sealed off the Gaza's crossing points after it has partially reopened them, in honor of the last Thursday's truce deal with the ruling Hamas party in Gaza.

A Hamas statement yesterday reiterated their call for all Palestinian resistance factions involving the Islamic Jihad, to keep restraint and refrain from reactions, so that the truce can hold.

Both Israel and Palestinians agreed to a truce in the Gaza Strip, after long Egyptian mediation efforts. The ceasefire initially includes the Gaza Strip, on which Israel has been enforcing a crippling closure since June of last year.

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