Two Israeli children, aged 4 and 5, were killed Wednesday evening, and at least 16 others were injured when a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck a house in the southern town of Sderot.
The wounded were taken to hospital for treatment. One person was in serious condition, two people sustained moderate wounds and eight were treated for light injuries.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket strike, which came after at least four Palestinians were reported killed Wednesday during an Israeli raid in the northern Gaza Strip aimed at "preventing the firing of Qassam rockets", according to Israeli media.
Earlier Wednesday, two Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded in a mortar attack on the Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim.
Gaza Strip and West Bank
At least four Palestinians, including three boys, were reported killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday night and three, including a Fatah activist, were killed in the West Bank.
A massive Israeli force raided and took up positions in the area of the Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun and the Jabalya refugee camp to its west.
Palestinians said a 22-year-old Palestinian, identified as Tawfiq Muhammed a Sharafi, was killed when an Israeli helicopter launched a missle towards a group of people near the Jabalya refugee camp. Four other Palestinians were wounded.
Early Wednesday, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy, identified as Saed Muhammed Abu al Eish, was shot dead by Israeli troops in the northen part of the Gaza Strip, Palestinians said. Later in the day, another Palestinian teenager was killed. According to Palestinian sources, Ahmed Abd al Fattah Madi, 14, was shot by Israeli fire in the northern Gaza Strip. In the noon, Israeli troops killed 16-year old, Muhammed Jabr to the south of Gaza City.
In the West Bank, occupation soldiers operating in Nablus early Wednesday morning killed Majdi Halifa, a Fatah man, Israel Radio reported.
The troops had stormed the Nablus neighborhood of Jab'l Shibli in order to arrest another man, and when Halifa tried to escape the troops shot and killed him.
Also in the West Bank, troops surrounded a home in Jenin and nabbed a man thought to be an aide to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' city commander Zakariya Zubeidi. Then, occupation forces demolished Zubeidi's family's home in the city.
In a related development, Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian taxicab heading form Jenin city to the nearby village of Jalameh causing the instant killing of the driver and the young man sitting beside him.
Two others were wounded in the back seat including a pregnant woman, residents of the Kharuba area where the incident took place.
Locals refuted Israeli claims that the soldiers ordered the driver to stop before shooting. They explained that the soldiers opened fire suddenly without any prior warning and noted that about 30 armored vehicles were positioned at the scene along with a group of special army units that opened intensive fire at the taxicab. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
