Army continues its offensive in Gaza; over 385 killed and 1750 wounded

Wednesday December 31, 2008 00:53 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli Army continued its offensive against the residents of the Gaza Strip for the fourth day, carrying out on Tuesday at least 70 more air strikes, including a recent strike targeting the Rafah-Egypt border, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The death toll now exceeds 390 residents, including children, women and elderly while at least 1800 residents have been injured in the attacks.

The Qatar-based AL Jazeera reported that the Egyptian Authorities partially closed the Rafah terminal after the Israeli Army shelled the border crossing with a minimum of 10 shells.

A legislator from Rafah said that hundreds of residents started fleeing from Rafah after the Israeli Army said that it would shell the areas adjacent to the border with Egypt, particularly the tunnels.

The Israeli Air Force also shelled several areas in Gaza City and Beit Hanoun, where four more residents were killed while medical sources estimate that the number of residents killed during the ongoing offensive to exceed 390 while at least 1800 have been wounded.  

Al Jazeera reporter, Wa’el Al Dahdouh, said that the Israeli Air Force also shelled the house of one of the leaders of the al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement in the al-Mighraqa area. One resident was killed in the shelling and at least nine others were injured.

On Tuesday morning, two sisters, 4 and 11 years old, were killed when the army shelled Beit Hanoun town.

Meanwhile, resistance groups in Gaza continued their retaliation and fired shells at Israeli areas adjacent to Gaza.

According to Al Jazeera reporter, Elias Karram,  the resistance groups fired Grad missiles at Israeli areas and that one missile hit Be’er Shiva causing no injuries.

The resistance also shelled the settlements of Nahal OZ, Kiryat Malakhi, and Lihavim, adjascent to Rahat Arab town near Be’er Shiva.

Two grad missiles also hit Ashood (Edood) and Asqalan (Ashkelon).  Sirens were also sounded in Sderot after a missile hit an open area hours after a missile hit a home wounding two Israelis, the Israeli Radio reported.

Abu Obaida, of the AL Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said in a televised speech broadcasted by the al-Aqsa TV in Gaza, that the resistance would intensify the firing of shells and would attempt to hit further Israeli targets.

al-Quds Brigades, of the Islamic Jihad, stated that its fighters fired three shells at Sderot, and three other shells at Ashkelon.

The Israeli Ministerial Council is expected to convene on Wednesday and will most likely decide to launch a ground offensive in Gaza. The Israeli army said that it conducted all arrangement to carry the ground offensive.

Israel also approved the deployment of additional 2500 reserve soldiers. Israeli TV, channel 10, said that the Israeli strikes destroyed at least two-thirds of Hamas’ missiles and launchers. Israel predicts that Hamas owned 2000 missiles and shells.           

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