Date: 05 / 01 / 2009  Time:  18:41
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

The Al-Qassam Brigades threatened to widen their projectile attacks in a broadcast addressing Israelis aired on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV Monday.

“We promise you that our target-sites will be vulnerable at all times and open to attack any time of day,” said Hamas’ military wing spokesman Abu Ubayda. “We will expand our targets,” he said.”

Tel Aviv and the Israeli nuclear site at Dimona have not yet been targeted, said Abu Ubayda, but we will not hesitate to launch projectiles at these sites if Israel continues its attacks at the one and a half million people of the Gaza Strip.

Our targets will also become the soldiers now in Israel, the spokesman assured. “Your fried Gilad Shalit is missing you and we promise to bring him company.” Your land invasion will do nothing but insure the return of Palestinian prisoners when we swap them for the Israeli soldiers.

Israeli shelling has not weakened the (Qassam) Brigades, said Abu Ubayda, the brigades are powerful and there members are ready for any attack.

He also accused Israel of covering-up the casualties of the Brigades attacks, and of the larger conspiracy of denying the failure of the land invasion.

We have destroyed a tank and an Israeli military vehicle with a new type of explosive we are using, he said. We have new projectiles and many other surprises for Israeli troops.

He promised that there will be thousands of combatants and waiting for Israeli troops when they leave their tanks.

Israel: Soldiers thwarted attempted capture during Gaza invasion

Date: 05 / 01 / 2009  Time:  19:15
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli soldiers managed to rescue one of their own on Monday afternoon when Palestinian fighters ambushed a group of invading forces from a tunnel.

Israeli television Channel Two reported that soldiers successfully resisted the attempted capture, despite the efforts by two Palestinian armed groups.

Soldiers reportedly opened fire on the armed Palestinians, forcing them to release the nearly-captured soldiers before fleeing.

Earlier this week, Hamas leader Abu Ubayda said that "in case Israeli aggression continues," Palestinian fighters would capture Israeli soldiers.

“Shalit might have several companions,” he warned.

Gaza hospitals under fire

Date: 05 / 01 / 2009  Time:  19:02
Gaza/Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli forces fired in the immediate vicinity of three hospitals in the Gaza Strip on Monday, witnesses and medical personnel told Ma’an.

The Al-Wafa Hospital eastern Gaza Strip received warning that they would be shelled, but the hospital administration and staff refused to evacuate on account of the number of injured people being treated there. Some of the wounded have been injured so severely that they cannot be safely transferred.

At Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes bombed the offices of the Health Committees, about 400 meters from Al-Shifa hospital. Last week warplanes bombed the Ash-Shifa Mosque, which is part of the medical compound.

Israeli forces also shelled the parking lot of Al-Awda hospital in Jabaliya in northern Gaza.

Spanish human rights worker at the hospital Alberto Arce reported, “Two consecutive shells just landed in the busy car park 15 meters from the entrance to the emergency room of the Al Awda hospital. The entrance of the emergency room was damaged. At the time of the shelling Ambulances were bringing in the wounded that keep pouring in. Medical teams and facilities are being targeted. Nowhere is safe."

On Sunday, at least three paramedics were killed by two consecutive Israeli airstikes while they attempting to rescue the wounded from an earlier strike.

The international aid agency Oxfam has also reported that personnel working for its affiliates in Gaza have been killed, their ambulances coming under attack.