At least 11 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli offensive
since early Thursday morning, which targeted two refugee camps in
central Gaza Strip.
Six of the dead were members of Hamas' military wing, Izz
el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, and another three dead were members of
Hamas' police force, known as the Executive Forces, the two groups
said in separate statements.
The tenth dead was a militant with the Islamic Jihad (Holy
War)movement, which vowed to continue armed resistance against
Israel until "forcing the invaders to retreat."
The other dead was a Palestinian civilian, according to
Palestinian medical sources.
Paramedics said that 25 others were also wounded in the Israeli
airstrikes, which the Israeli military launched to back its
invading tanks in al-Burij and al-Maghazi refugee camps, both in
central Gaza Strip.
According to the paramedics, a cameraman working for a
Hamas-linked television was seriously wounded in the morning, with
two of his legs amputated in the end.
The invading Israeli forces were encountered by Palestinian
militants and both sides have been engaged in fierce fighting
around the two camps, according to local residents.
Militants from Hamas, Jihad movement and the Popular Resistance
Committees (PRC), all said they had fired a number of
rocket-propelled grenades at Israeli tanks and bulldozers.
Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas has
slammed "the Israeli army crimes in central Gaza Strip," accusing
the Israeli government of "embittering Gaza atmospheres of peace
and calmness."
Hamas has promised to give the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip a
safe and quiet environment after the group seized the Strip on June
14.
"The continuation of the military escalation against the
Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip aims at tightening the siege
and spreading fears among the citizens," added Haneya.
The Israeli army radio reported that Gaza operation may end in
the evening. But in northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, local
residents said the Israeli army were calling in more troops and
tanks, expressing fears of an Israeli incursion in the area.
(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2007)
