New Israeli raids on Gaza kill Palestinian girl, two Qassam fighters

[ 03/01/2009 - 07:54 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Israeli military raids on northern and eastern Gaza Strip have killed at an early hour Saturday a little Palestinian girl and two Qassam fighters.

Palestinian medical sources reported that a 13-year-old girl called Sejoud Al-Dardasawi was killed and three other citizens were wounded during Israeli artillery shelling that targeted Palestinian homes east of Al-Shujaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza city.

The sources added that two Palestinian fighters affiliated with Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were also killed in Jabaliya, northern Gaza.

The IOF troops have carried out at least seven military raids on open areas in Gaza this morning including the Palestinian-Egyptian border areas.

In a statement received by the PIC, the Hamas Movement stated that that the killing of civilians in their homes, schools, universities and mosques is evidence of Israel's "hysteria and intelligence failure".

The statement added that the bombing of civilian areas especially densely populated areas, the ban imposed on the entry of fuel, food and medicine and the huge number of women and children killed reveal the falsehood of Israel's allegations that its military operations target only Hamas.

437 killed, 2200 wounded since the start of the Gaza holocaust

[ 03/01/2009 - 01:18 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Twelve Palestinians, including six children and a woman, have been killed on Friday, the seventh day of the Gaza holocaust being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation airforce.

Palestinian medical sources stated, before midnight Friday, that two Qassam Brigades fighters were killed in an Israeli occupation airstrike to the east of Jabalya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said that Tahani Abu Ayyash (22 years) was killed and five members of her family were wounded in an airstrike on her home in the Johr al-Deek neighbourhood to the south east of Gaza city.

Another Palestinian resident of Gaza was killed and three others were wounded when a car was targeted while passing on the Wadi Gaza bridge to the south of Gaza City. The wounded were taken to the Aqsa Martyrs Hospital which has received ten other case as a result of airstrikes targeting shops in the Nusairat Refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Three children from the same family were killed in an airstrike at the village of Qarara to the east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

Twenty-year-old Fadi Shabat was also killed when an airstrike targeted his home in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.

An airstrike that targeted the home of Nabil Mutawwak in Jabalya, in the northern Gaza Strip, resulted in the death of Fuad Murawwak and the wounding of four others.

While 15-year-old, Hamad Mesbeh was killed as a result of being hit by shrapnel from a rocket fired by an Israeli occupation drone at Shejaeyya neighbourhood to the east of Gaza City. The body of the boy was badly mutilated.

Six-year-old Christine Wadi' al-Turk, died as a result of wounds she sustained Friday morning in the city of Gaza. Another child, Sojood al-Dardasawi also succumbed to wounds she sustained in an Israeli occupation airstrike to the east of Gaza City.

Another resistance fighter affiliated with the Qassam Brigades was killed, Friday night in Beit Lahya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

Tens of people were wounded in the airstrikes that targeted houses in Gaza City, Nusairat and Rafah.

Airstrikes also targeted bridges linking the southern with the northern Gaza Strip.

Since the start of the Gaza holocaust last Saturday more than 437 Palestinians have been killed and around 2200 others wounded, 320 of them in serious condition.

Six Palestinians, including a child, killed in recent Israeli terrorist air strikes on Gaza

Saturday January 03, 2009 11:23 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli occupation terrorist army continued its offensive in the Gaza Strip and killed a leader of Hamas in Al-Shuja'iya neighborhood in Gaza. Medical sources reported that two residents who were wounded in earlier Israeli strikes died in Egyptian hospitals. A fighter and a child were also killed in separate Israeli military attacks. At least 438 Palestinians were killed and 2220 were wounded in the ongoing Israeli offensive which started last Saturday.

The Ma'an News Agency reported on Saturday that Abu Zakariyya Al-Jammal, of the Al Qassam Brigades, died of his wounds on Saturday. He was seriously wounded after the army shelled his home several days ago, the Ma'an News Agency reported.

Also, a Palestinian child, identified as Sojoud Al-Badrasawi, was killed in an Israeli terrorist air strike that targeted a neighborhood east of Gaza city on Friday at night.

One fighter, identified as Sami Lubbad, was killed in an Israeli terrorist air strike near Shaikh Zayid residential towers, in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, Hamas movement stated on Saturday morning that its fighters managed to stop Israeli soldiers who were attempting to infiltrate into Al-Shuja'iya neighborhood, in Gaza City.

The army also shelled on Saturday the American School, north of Gaza, and killed its guard Salem Abu Qalqil, Maan reported.

Two residents died at Egyptian hospitals after being seriously wounded in earlier Israeli attacks.

Several fishing boats were also shelled while docked the port east of Gaza City.

Also, the Israeli occupation terrorist army radio reported that Hamas fighters noticed the soldiers attempting to infiltrate and fired six mortar shells at them. The soldiers reportedly returned to the Israeli side of the border, Israeli online daily Haaretz reported.

Furthermore, the Israeli occupation terrorist army shelled a center which belongs to the Al-Qassam Brigades in Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, north of Gaza City, and another target close to Al-Farouq mosque in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the center of Gaza City.

The Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers also shelled a house in Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood south of Gaza City, and a house which belongs to a Qassam fighter in Tal Al-Za’atar, north of Jabalia.  

On Friday evening and on Saturday at dawn, the Israeli army and the Navy shelled at least twenty homes in Gaza causing injuries among the civilians. The army also shelled a vehicle driving at the Gaza Valley Bridge and a police station.

At least 438 Palestinians, including a large number of children, were killed and at least 2220 were wounded in the ongoing Israeli offensive which started last Saturday.

Eight days under attack: death toll in Gaza reaches 438

Saturday January 03, 2009 10:08 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

An Israeli air attacks targeted the American school in Gaza city killing the night guard on Saturday morning.  

The funeral of three children from Al-Astal family killed by the Israeli shelling on their home on Friday – photo by WAFA

Medical sources identified that man as Sami Abu Qalqil. Local sources reported that air raids where also reported in several parts of the Gaza Strip on Saturday morning.  

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Costal Region said that the death toll in Gaza by Saturday morning due to the Israeli continued shelling now stands at 438, many of whom are civilians. The Ministry added that those attacks have left so far 2280 Palestinians injured.  

Israeli started its military offensive last Saturday, December 27th 2008, just days after the sixth month long Egyptian mediated cease fire finished on December 16th 2008.  

Israeli warplanes started by shelling all the Palestinian security posts there. In the following days the shelling was expanded. Hospitals, homes, blacksmith workshops, schools, and mosques where targeted. Day and night all the Palestinian coastal region were under attack.  

Today the Israeli army announced that a full-scale ground offensive in Gaza is now a matter of hours. Israel says the operation is aimed at stopping the Palestinian resistance home-made shells fire from Gaza at nearby Israeli towns.  

Medical and healthcare services are struggling to cope with the outcome of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, while the bombing continues. Dr Mu'awiyah Hassanain, the Head of the Palestinian Ambulance and Emergency Services in the Health Ministry in Gaza, told IMEMC that "We have zero medical supplies in our hospitals as of this moment; which is limiting our ability to function.

He added "We are trying to use what is available in the inventory. Last week some Egyptian medical aid arrived, which served for few hours only".  

In response to the Israeli attacks the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza launched home-made shells at Israeli targets last week.  

According to Israeli sources, most of the homemade shells landed in the town of Isdood and the nearby Sderot town. Two Israeli where killed by the Palestinian shells fired and at least 20 where lightly wounded this week.

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

Saturday January 03, 2009 00:48 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

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.

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-Buraij 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.