At least eight Palestinians were killed Tuesday, and some 40 others were wounded, in an Israeli military raid on the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
Palestinian medical and security sources confirmed that Israeli forces, backed by tanks and Apache gunships, raided the neighborhoods of Rafah refugee camp under a barrage of heavy gunfire.
Hospital sources identified the five Palestinians killed in the raid, as Khalil Al-Qasas, 50, Ali Alnajar, 22, Ibrahim Alnajar, 24, Khamis Alrai, 21, and Ahmad Alnajar, 32.
Two others were killed when a tank shell fell on a crowd of Palestinians. The victims were identified as Ala’ Ata Bahloul, 23 and Wi’am Rizeq Mousa, 26.
Eyewitnesses said that hundreds of civilians were forced to flee their houses as Israeli tanks bombarded the neighborhoods, using shells and missiles. Medical sources confirmed that at least 30 civilians were wounded; many of them in critical condition.
Israeli bulldozers also demolished a number of houses near the borderline with Egypt, witnesses said. The invasion has also resulted in massive damage to the civilian infrastructure of the refugee camp and Israeli occupying forces have imposed a curfew on the entire area.
In the central Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces moved into Abu Sha’ar area in Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah. They destroyed 4 Palestinian homes in the two villages leaving 13 Palestinian civilians homeless. The houses belong to the al-Sumairi, al-Zar and Eslaisel families. Israeli occupying forces have also razed 12 donums of agricultural land planted with olives.
In the West Bank, three Palestinians injured late Tuesday, one critically, as Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian houses in a village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medical sources said. Later, the wounded Palestinian died of his wounds.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Tuesday criticized Israel for its disproportionate use of force during the raids in the Gaza Strip.
"The secretary general reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the civilian population and desist from using disproportionate force," Annan said through his spokesman, Fred Eckhard.
Meanwhile, two settlers were injured on Tuesday night after Palestinians reportedly fired a Qassam rocket at the Nissanit settlement in the Gaza Strip. The rocket landed on a residential building.
The wounded sustained light and light-to-moderate injuries and were taken to a hospital for medical treatment. (Albawaba.com)
