Six Palestinians killed and four injured by Israeli occupation forces invading southern Gaza strip

Six killed and four injured as Israeli army invades the southern part of the Gaza strip 

Wednesday June 20, 2007 10:48 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC

Six Palestinians were killed and at least another four injured as the Israel occupation army invaded Al-Qarara village, located near Khan Younis city in the southern part of the Gaza strip, on Wednesday morning.

Palestinian medical sources reported that among those killed were Siliman Abu Khashan, 19, said to be an Al Qassam brigades member, Khaled Al-Farra, 20, and Ahamd Al-Abadallah, 23

Witnesses reported that Israeli tanks and bulldozers stormed the area in the early morning, opening fire at various homes in the area. Witnesses added that a number of Israeli troops also occupied homes and used them as shooting posts.

The Israeli army announced that one soldier sustained moderate wounds during clashes between the invading troops and local resistance men. The army added that Troops acting undercover in the village of Al-Qarara were discovered by Palestinian resistance, after which clashes took place that left three Palestinians killed and five injured, among them an Israeli soldier.

Later, the Israeli army sent tanks and bulldozers to reinforce positions in the village.

Later still, Israeli occupation troops kidnapped scores of Palestinian men from the village of Al-Qarara and took them to a nearby Israeli army post, witnesses in the village reported.

Israeli forces said the aim of the operation was to search for and eliminate resistance fighters in the area.

Shortly after Hamas took total control of the costal region last week, the Israeli administration and a number of Israeli companies that provide goods and services to the Gaza Strip have taken steps to isolate the coastal region and the Hamas movement.

Speaking to media agencies on Sunday, the Israeli occupation Deputy Defence Minister Ephrain Sneh announced to the public that army units had taken up previously-abandoned positions in the north of the region. The Israeli occupation government has not ruled out a future ground invasion of the region.

 

Israeli occupation forces and tanks invade southern Gaza Strip, kill 5 Palestinians 

Israeli tanks invade southern Gaza Strip, kill 5 Palestinians

Date: 20 / 06 / 2007 Time: 10:49

Updated 13:20, 20 June 2007

Gaza - Ma'an - 

Israeli occupation special forces invaded the southern Gaza Strip at dawn on Wednesday and killed at least four Palestinians. Two of those assassinated were fighters from Hamas' military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, one was a member of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC)-affiliated An Nasser Brigades, and the fourth was a member of Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades.

A fifth man, as yet unidentified, was also killed.

Several Palestinian civilians were also injured during the invasion and, according to Israeli sources, one Israeli soldier was also injured when the Israeli occupation forces came under fire.

An activist from the Al-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, 19-year-old Suleiman Khashan, was killed while attempting to blockade the invading force.

The Al-Qassam Brigades announced the deaths of Khaled Al-Farra, aged 20, and Ahmad Abadla, who was killed as the Israeli forces invaded the area east of Khan Younis.

A fourth man, Obeid Sha'ath, from the Al-Quds Brigades, and a fifth, as yet unidentified, man were also killed by the Israeli forces during the incursion.

The incursion was launched at 1am when Israeli occupation military tanks penetrated 1km into the strip and ransacked several homes, before the troops arrested a number of citizens.

The Qassam Brigades claimed that they launched six rocket-propelled grenade shells and detonated explosives in an attempt to prevent the entrance of the Israeli tanks into Khan Younis.

The Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al-Quds Brigades reported that their fighters ambushed an Israeli undercover unit, east of Al-Qarara, in the southern Gaza Strip.

The Al-Quds Brigades said that their combatants hurled three anti-personnel explosive devices at the Israeli forces. The brigades added that confrontations erupted between their fighters and Israeli infantry, but only lasted for a few minutes.

The Al-Quds Brigades also announced that at 5am they launched two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shells towards an Israelis bulldozer, east of Al Qarara, as the Israeli tanks were advancing.

The Qassam Brigades stated that they clashed with an Israeli infantry unit, near the Israeli – Gaza border, east of Khan Younis, at 3.30am. The brigades launched five mortar shells, five RPG shells and a homemade projectile towards the invading Israeli vehicles.

The brigades added that they detonated an explosive device, which they had planted in advance, whilst an Israeli military tank was passing.

The Palestinian military wings said that the invading Israeli forces met fierce resistance as they attacked the Gaza Strip.

Israeli sources also stated on Wednesday that an Israeli soldier was moderately injured in crossfire with Palestinian activists near Kisufim military base, east of the central Gaza Strip.

The sources added that the Israeli occupation force came under fire during an incursion in the area. As a result, one Israeli soldier was injured and was then transferred to Soroka hospital in Beer Al-Saba'a (Beer Sheva) city, in the south of Israel.

 

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