Two fighters killed on Friday evening, 434 killed and 2280 wounded in the ongoing offensive in Gaza

The number of Palestinians who were killed in the ongoing Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip arrived to 434 and at least 2280 Palestinians were wounded. On Friday, seven Palestinians, including five children, were killed in Al Qarara town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, the Palestine News Netwrok reported.

Palestinian homes in Gaza shelled by the Israeli forces on Friday – Photo by WAFA

Three of the slain children are members of the same family and were playing near their home when the Israeli army shelled the area.

Two more children were killed in an Israeli shelling in Jabalia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip after the army fired missiles at the house of Imad Aqel, one of the leaders of the AL Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

On Friday evening, a Palestinian man and a woman were killed and five residents were wounded in Al Boreij refugee camp.

The Israeli army shelled at least 20 targets in the Gaza Strip on Friday; one of the targets was a mosque in Jabalia town as the army claimed that “the mosque was used to store grad missiles and Qassam homemade shells”.

The Gaza Strip remains off limits to foreign reporters although the Israeli High Court of Justice allowed their entry.

Meanwhile, Israeli military analysts said that Israel is about to launch a large ground offensive which aims at eliminating the resistance and their shells before any cease fire deal is reached.

Furthermore, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, decided on Friday to seal the West Bank for 48 hours starting on Thursday night after midnight.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the decision came after Israel received intelligence information that Palestinians might carry attacks in Israel in retaliation to the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.   

Gaza enters day seven of Israeli air raids: Death toll reaches 428

Friday January 02, 2009 09:38 IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News

For the seventh day, the Israeli Air Force continues to attack the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian sources reported that Israeli jetfighters targeted several Palestinian homes in several parts of the Gaza Strip.  Targets included blacksmith workshops, local schools and civilian vehicles.

Medical sources stated that during Friday morning raids, three Palestinians were killed, and at least 20 others were injured. Among those killed was Fo'ad al Mutawak, who was killed when his home, located in Jabalyia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Coastal Region, was attacked by the Israeli Air Force.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that by Friday morning, the death toll in Gaza, due to the Israeli Air Force bombardments, now stands at 428. The ministry added that there are an additional 2,220 injured, among them at least 300 are in critical condition.

Israel embarked on its military operation on Saturday December 27th, coming only days after the sixth-month Egyptian-mediated cease fire between Hamas, that controls Gaza, and Israel finished on December 16th, 2008.

Image republished from Palestine News Network