Israel launches new attacks on Gaza
Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:52:22 GMT
 Witnesses say Israeli tanks are entering the Gaza Strip. |
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli tanks are seen rolling into the Gaza Strip after a warplane struck targets across the territory, Haaretz reported.
Heavy fighting have also been reported near Khan Yunis in southern Gaza after Israeli forces moved into the territory Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier, Defense Minister Ehud Barak had threatened to attack the strip in retaliation to the death of an Israeli soldier who was killed in a bomb blast at the Kissufim crossing near the Israel-Gaza border.
The military forces responded immediately to the incident by killing a Palestinian farmer near the border crossing.
On December 27, Tel Aviv launched Operation Cast Lead to put an end to rocket attacks against southern Israeli towns. At least 1,330 Palestinians died during the offensive, while some 5,450 others were wounded.
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, more than half of the victims had been civilians.
Israel unilaterally stopped its 23-day offensive on January 18, while repeatedly threatening to resume attacks on the region should Hamas, the democratically-elected ruler of the coastal sliver, rearm its fighters.
The Tuesday attacks come as Hamas officials are in Cairo to discuss a lasting ceasefire with Israel through Egyptian mediators. The Palestinian movement cites the removal of an 18-month blockade of the Gaza Strip as one of the conditions for truce with Tel Aviv.
UK aid agencies say at least 60 of the Gaza population is now leaving in poverty, with more than one million people dependant on aid to survive the aftermath of the Israeli operation.
SB/MD
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