18 july 2014

The Israeli military said Friday that since the beginning of the ground invasion of Gaza the night before, the army had killed 19 Palestinian militants and detained 13 more.
The military said in a statement that since the beginning of the operation late Thursday, Israeli forces had bombed 150 "targets" including 50 since the morning.
Seventeen of the Palestinians who Israel claims were militants were killed in unknown circumstances, while two were killed while allegedly "in preparations to fire antitank missiles."
The Israeli military also claimed that it had uncovered eight "tunnel access points" in areas it had invaded within the Gaza Strip, presumably for Palestinian militants to enter Israel.
On Thursday, Hamas militants managed to enter Israel in the area of Sufa kibbutz through a tunnel, but were forced back after an Israeli airstrike.
Palestinian medical sources say at least 30 Palestinians have been killed and more than 300 injured since the beginning of the ground invasion, which came on the 10th day of an Israeli assault that has now killed more than 260 and injured more than 2,000 in total.
Two Israelis, including a soldier, have died since the beginning of hostilities, and around six have been injured.
The military said in a statement that since the beginning of the operation late Thursday, Israeli forces had bombed 150 "targets" including 50 since the morning.
Seventeen of the Palestinians who Israel claims were militants were killed in unknown circumstances, while two were killed while allegedly "in preparations to fire antitank missiles."
The Israeli military also claimed that it had uncovered eight "tunnel access points" in areas it had invaded within the Gaza Strip, presumably for Palestinian militants to enter Israel.
On Thursday, Hamas militants managed to enter Israel in the area of Sufa kibbutz through a tunnel, but were forced back after an Israeli airstrike.
Palestinian medical sources say at least 30 Palestinians have been killed and more than 300 injured since the beginning of the ground invasion, which came on the 10th day of an Israeli assault that has now killed more than 260 and injured more than 2,000 in total.
Two Israelis, including a soldier, have died since the beginning of hostilities, and around six have been injured.

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said Friday that the Israeli ground offensive on Gaza will not achieve it's goals and will instead be thoroughly confronted by Palestinian militant groups.
"The Palestinian determination and resistance against the offensive will cause it to fail, and our brave resistance forces are willing to confront the offensive in any spot in the Gaza Strip."
The PFLP said in the statement that they trust the "awareness" of the resistance forces not only in foiling the Israeli ground offensive, but also in managing, planning, and turning the ground offensive against the Israeli forces.
The PFLP is a leftist organization that is a major faction of the PLO and is opposed to negotiations with Israel.
Pope phones Peres, Abbas to call for immediate ceasefire
Pope Francis on Friday phoned Israeli President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, the Vatican said.
Francis spoke to the presidents about the need "to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote a truce, peace and reconciliation in the hearts of those involved," read a statement from the Vatican.
"The Palestinian determination and resistance against the offensive will cause it to fail, and our brave resistance forces are willing to confront the offensive in any spot in the Gaza Strip."
The PFLP said in the statement that they trust the "awareness" of the resistance forces not only in foiling the Israeli ground offensive, but also in managing, planning, and turning the ground offensive against the Israeli forces.
The PFLP is a leftist organization that is a major faction of the PLO and is opposed to negotiations with Israel.
Pope phones Peres, Abbas to call for immediate ceasefire
Pope Francis on Friday phoned Israeli President Shimon Peres and President Mahmoud Abbas to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, the Vatican said.
Francis spoke to the presidents about the need "to bring an end to hostilities, making efforts to promote a truce, peace and reconciliation in the hearts of those involved," read a statement from the Vatican.

Mourners carry into a mosque the body of Muhammad Abu Musallam, a Palestinian young boy who was killed along with his sister and his brother in an Israeli tank attack, during their funeral on July 18, 2014
Over 30 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by airstrikes and artillery fire since Israel launched a ground operation late Thursday, medics said.
Ahmad Hassan Saleh al-Ghalban, 23, Hamada Abdullah Mohammad al-Bashiti, 21, and Abdullah al-Samiri, 17, were killed in an airstrike which witnesses say completely destroyed a home in Khan Younis.
Mahmoud Ali Darwish, 40, and another unidentified man were killed in al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
Earlier, Ahmad Abdallah al-Behnsawi was killed by shelling in Beit Lahiya, medics said, while the bodies of Saleh al-Zgheibi and Alaa Abu Shabab were found under rubble in eastern Rafah.
Three children were killed in a targeted shelling on a home in northern Gaza. The bodies of Ahmad Ismail Abu Musallam, 14, his sister Alaa, 13, and their brother Muhammad, 15, were taken to Kamal Adwan hospital.
The children were killed when a shell hit their bedroom.
Early on Friday, ambulance crews said nine people were killed in the shelling of a home east of Khan Younis. Their bodies were found under the rubble of a residential building.
Among those identified were Hammad Abdulkarim Hammad Abu Lihyeh, 23, Muhammad Abdulfattah Rashad Fayyad, 26, and Mahmoud Muhammad Fayyad, 25, from Khan Younis.
Relatives Bilal Mahmoud Radwan, 23, Munthir Radwan, 22, Ahmad Fawzi Radwan, 23, and Mahmoud Fawzi Radwan, 24, were also killed.
Amal Khader Ibrahim Dabbur, 40, Ismail Youssif Taha Qassem, 59, Nassim Mahmoud Nassir and Karam Mahmoud Nassir were killed in Beit Hanoun and at least 25 injured in heavy shelling.
In Rafah three people were killed and 11 others wounded by Israeli forces, who fired foul-smelling gas during the operation.
In the Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaiyeh, Rani Abu Tawileh was killed and 12 members of his family injured in heavy bombings.
The body of Hussam Abu Issa was pulled from rubble in central Gaza on Friday. It is believed he was killed in overnight attacks.
On the ground, witnesses reported gun battles breaking out east of the southern city of Khan Younis, with military sources confirming it was one of the areas in which the troops were operating.
Over 30 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by airstrikes and artillery fire since Israel launched a ground operation late Thursday, medics said.
Ahmad Hassan Saleh al-Ghalban, 23, Hamada Abdullah Mohammad al-Bashiti, 21, and Abdullah al-Samiri, 17, were killed in an airstrike which witnesses say completely destroyed a home in Khan Younis.
Mahmoud Ali Darwish, 40, and another unidentified man were killed in al-Nuseirat refugee camp.
Earlier, Ahmad Abdallah al-Behnsawi was killed by shelling in Beit Lahiya, medics said, while the bodies of Saleh al-Zgheibi and Alaa Abu Shabab were found under rubble in eastern Rafah.
Three children were killed in a targeted shelling on a home in northern Gaza. The bodies of Ahmad Ismail Abu Musallam, 14, his sister Alaa, 13, and their brother Muhammad, 15, were taken to Kamal Adwan hospital.
The children were killed when a shell hit their bedroom.
Early on Friday, ambulance crews said nine people were killed in the shelling of a home east of Khan Younis. Their bodies were found under the rubble of a residential building.
Among those identified were Hammad Abdulkarim Hammad Abu Lihyeh, 23, Muhammad Abdulfattah Rashad Fayyad, 26, and Mahmoud Muhammad Fayyad, 25, from Khan Younis.
Relatives Bilal Mahmoud Radwan, 23, Munthir Radwan, 22, Ahmad Fawzi Radwan, 23, and Mahmoud Fawzi Radwan, 24, were also killed.
Amal Khader Ibrahim Dabbur, 40, Ismail Youssif Taha Qassem, 59, Nassim Mahmoud Nassir and Karam Mahmoud Nassir were killed in Beit Hanoun and at least 25 injured in heavy shelling.
In Rafah three people were killed and 11 others wounded by Israeli forces, who fired foul-smelling gas during the operation.
In the Gaza City neighborhood of Shujaiyeh, Rani Abu Tawileh was killed and 12 members of his family injured in heavy bombings.
The body of Hussam Abu Issa was pulled from rubble in central Gaza on Friday. It is believed he was killed in overnight attacks.
On the ground, witnesses reported gun battles breaking out east of the southern city of Khan Younis, with military sources confirming it was one of the areas in which the troops were operating.

A wounded baby receives treatment at al-Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, on July 18, 2014
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP ground and air forces had attacked at least 36 targets in Gaza since the incursion was launched.
Over 260 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza since Israel began it's military assault on the coastal territory last week.
One Israeli soldier was reported killed early Friday and five others injured.
"What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive. It is bound to fail," Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said from his exile in Doha.
A Hamas spokesman in Gaza earlier said "Israel will pay a high price" for launching the ground operation and that his movement "is ready for the confrontation".
President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel must stop its ground operation, warning it would lead to "more bloodshed" and complicate efforts to end the conflict in the enclave.
Israel approved the call-up of another 18,000 reservists, taking the total number approved to 65,000 for an operation aimed at protecting Israeli lives and striking "a significant blow to Hamas's terror infrastructure," the army said.
"I regret that despite my repeated urgings, and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said, urging Israel to "do far more" to spare Palestinian non-combatants.
Figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights show that civilians account for more than 80 percent of the victims of Israel's assault since July 8.
An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP ground and air forces had attacked at least 36 targets in Gaza since the incursion was launched.
Over 260 Palestinians have now been killed in Gaza since Israel began it's military assault on the coastal territory last week.
One Israeli soldier was reported killed early Friday and five others injured.
"What the occupier Israel failed to achieve through its air and sea raids, it will not be able to achieve with a ground offensive. It is bound to fail," Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal said from his exile in Doha.
A Hamas spokesman in Gaza earlier said "Israel will pay a high price" for launching the ground operation and that his movement "is ready for the confrontation".
President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel must stop its ground operation, warning it would lead to "more bloodshed" and complicate efforts to end the conflict in the enclave.
Israel approved the call-up of another 18,000 reservists, taking the total number approved to 65,000 for an operation aimed at protecting Israeli lives and striking "a significant blow to Hamas's terror infrastructure," the army said.
"I regret that despite my repeated urgings, and those of many regional and world leaders together, an already dangerous conflict has now escalated even further," UN chief Ban Ki-moon said, urging Israel to "do far more" to spare Palestinian non-combatants.
Figures provided by the Gaza-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights show that civilians account for more than 80 percent of the victims of Israel's assault since July 8.

Israel shelled the Beit Hanoun hospital in northern Gaza on Friday, damaging the top floors and causing panic among patients and staff, employees said.
A nurse in the hospital told Ma'an that Israel fired a drone missile at the roof and third floor, damaging water supplies.
The area of the hospital targeted contained a ward for children, a reception area, and the offices of several doctors.
The building was evacuated immediately following the attack, with no injuries reported.
The attack comes as Israeli tanks fired shells at the al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City late Thursday, the facility's director said.
"Israeli tanks are shelling the hospital, they have hit several of the floors, and several nurses have been injured," director Basman Alashi told AFP.
"There is no place safe in Gaza! If a hospital is not safe, where is?" he said.
The hospital in Gaza's Shujaiyeh district has come under Israeli fire several times before, and the Israeli military has called on Alashi and other doctors to evacuate it.
The Al-Quds hospital was also hit overnight Thursday by Israeli forces, causing a fire to break out which damaged several departments of the building.
On Saturday, thirty-year-old Ola Washahi and 47-year-old Suha Abu Saada were killed when an Israeli rocket hit a care home for Palestinians with special needs in Beit Lahiya.
The facility's director, Jamila Alaywa, was unable to contain her fury as she described the tragedy that had befallen the center she set up in 1994.
"Both Ola and Suha had severe mental and physical handicaps, and had been living at the center since it was founded," she told AFP.
"They didn't understand what was happening and they were so frightened," Alaywa said.
"They fired the rocket and it hit us without any warning. There was no warning strike with an empty rocket," she said.
A nurse in the hospital told Ma'an that Israel fired a drone missile at the roof and third floor, damaging water supplies.
The area of the hospital targeted contained a ward for children, a reception area, and the offices of several doctors.
The building was evacuated immediately following the attack, with no injuries reported.
The attack comes as Israeli tanks fired shells at the al-Wafa hospital in Gaza City late Thursday, the facility's director said.
"Israeli tanks are shelling the hospital, they have hit several of the floors, and several nurses have been injured," director Basman Alashi told AFP.
"There is no place safe in Gaza! If a hospital is not safe, where is?" he said.
The hospital in Gaza's Shujaiyeh district has come under Israeli fire several times before, and the Israeli military has called on Alashi and other doctors to evacuate it.
The Al-Quds hospital was also hit overnight Thursday by Israeli forces, causing a fire to break out which damaged several departments of the building.
On Saturday, thirty-year-old Ola Washahi and 47-year-old Suha Abu Saada were killed when an Israeli rocket hit a care home for Palestinians with special needs in Beit Lahiya.
The facility's director, Jamila Alaywa, was unable to contain her fury as she described the tragedy that had befallen the center she set up in 1994.
"Both Ola and Suha had severe mental and physical handicaps, and had been living at the center since it was founded," she told AFP.
"They didn't understand what was happening and they were so frightened," Alaywa said.
"They fired the rocket and it hit us without any warning. There was no warning strike with an empty rocket," she said.
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The UN's Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said on Friday that more than 30,000 people had fled their homes to take shelter in 34 UNRWA schools located across the Gaza Strip since Thursday.
Before Thursday, UNRWA estimated that 20,000 Palestinians had fled their homes as a result of an Israeli assault now in its 11th day, but that number has now more than doubled since Israel launched a ground assault in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have also issued multiple evacuation orders across the northern Gaza Strip since the conflict began, instructing more than 100,000 Palestinians to leave their homes in order to allow the military to carry out operations. |
Although Israel has highlighted the evacuation orders as part of its strategy to avoid civilian casualties, Gazans have pointed out that because all borders are closed, they have nowhere to flee to.
Additionally, Israel has in the past said that all those who remain in their homes will be considered potential targets for military operations, leaving tens of thousands with nowhere to go in a precarious situation.
UNRWA said in the statement that they will begin distributing emergency food supplies on July 23 instead of August 3, as they had previously planned to do.
They also said that they will be giving a basket of supplies to a limited number of families, and that the families and the contents of the basket will be determined after evaluating the damages.
Since Israel began its assault on the Gaza Strip 11 days ago, 265 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, while two Israelis have died and six have been injured.
Prior to the conflict, more than half of the Gaza Strip's 1.7 million inhabitants were classified as refugees, being forced from their original homes inside what is now Israel by Zionist forces in 1948.
Additionally, Israel has in the past said that all those who remain in their homes will be considered potential targets for military operations, leaving tens of thousands with nowhere to go in a precarious situation.
UNRWA said in the statement that they will begin distributing emergency food supplies on July 23 instead of August 3, as they had previously planned to do.
They also said that they will be giving a basket of supplies to a limited number of families, and that the families and the contents of the basket will be determined after evaluating the damages.
Since Israel began its assault on the Gaza Strip 11 days ago, 265 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, while two Israelis have died and six have been injured.
Prior to the conflict, more than half of the Gaza Strip's 1.7 million inhabitants were classified as refugees, being forced from their original homes inside what is now Israel by Zionist forces in 1948.

Gaza militants have fired over 40 rockets at southern Israel since a military ground operation began late Thursday, Israel's army said.
Twenty rockets were intercepted while 25 landed in Israel, with no reports of casualties.
The al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for firing 10 grad missiles at Ashdod early Friday and two M75 rockets at Dimona.
Hamas' military wing also said it targeted Israeli military vehicles in Beit Lahiya with 10 mortar shells.
One Israeli soldier has been killed and five injured since Israel's ground assault began.
Islamic Jihad claimed it's military wing fired four grad missiles at Ashdod and 16 mortar shells in eastern Khan Younis, adding that one of their fighters was killed in southern Gaza.
Another three "107" missiles were fired at the Israeli town of Kisufim.
Twenty rockets were intercepted while 25 landed in Israel, with no reports of casualties.
The al-Qassam Brigades claimed responsibility for firing 10 grad missiles at Ashdod early Friday and two M75 rockets at Dimona.
Hamas' military wing also said it targeted Israeli military vehicles in Beit Lahiya with 10 mortar shells.
One Israeli soldier has been killed and five injured since Israel's ground assault began.
Islamic Jihad claimed it's military wing fired four grad missiles at Ashdod and 16 mortar shells in eastern Khan Younis, adding that one of their fighters was killed in southern Gaza.
Another three "107" missiles were fired at the Israeli town of Kisufim.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday defended his government decision to launch a ground assault into the Gaza Strip.
"The operation came after Israel agreed to the Egyptian and UN proposed ceasefires," Netanyahu told reporters ahead of a security cabinet meeting.
"In both cases Hamas continued to shoot, and in light of that we chose to begin the operation after exhausting all other options, understanding the without expanding the operation, the price we will pay will be higher," he said.
On Thursday, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli army to launch a ground assault on the Gaza Strip, following 11 days of air and naval bombardment.
The assault came hours after both Israel and Palestinian factions held a five-hour ceasefire as requested by the United Nations to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to stock up on food.
At least 260 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1970 injured since Israeli attacks began in the blockaded Palestinian territory on July 7. One Israel has been killed.
On Monday, Egypt proposed a ceasefire between Gaza-based Palestinian factions and Israel.
While Israel initially accepted the Egyptian proposal, Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said that the plan does not meet "conditions of the resistance".
Netanyahu said the Israeli army was instructed to prepare to widen its ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
"My instructions ... are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the military is preparing accordingly," he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, for his part, warned that Hamas will pay a heavier price than we have exacted so far".
"We will not compromise the security of Israeli citizens or tolerate rocket firing on residents of the South," Ya’alon said.
Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that he supports the expansion of the Gaza ground operation.
"I think that the decision to extend the operation of the IDF in Gaza was the right decision," he said.
The ongoing operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is Israel's third major offensive against the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
Israel's Netanyahu killing Gaza children: Hamas
Palestinian resistance faction Hamas on Friday accused Israel of intentionally targeting children during its ongoing military onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip, now in its second week.
"[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is murdering Gaza's children," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri asserted in a statement.
He pledged that the Israeli premier would pay a "heavy price" for killing Palestinian children in the embattled coastal territory.
Earlier Friday, three Palestinian children were killed when their residential building in the northern Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli artillery fire.
Since July 7, when Israel's offensive against the strip began, at least 264 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed in relentless air, naval and ground attacks.
Fifty-eight children and 28 women have been among those slain.
On Thursday night, the Israeli army began ground operations, sending troops into the Palestinian territory.
In recent days, thousands of Israeli troops had been called up and amassed on the strip's borders in advance of an anticipated ground assault.
Israel's ongoing offensive, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major assault on the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
"The operation came after Israel agreed to the Egyptian and UN proposed ceasefires," Netanyahu told reporters ahead of a security cabinet meeting.
"In both cases Hamas continued to shoot, and in light of that we chose to begin the operation after exhausting all other options, understanding the without expanding the operation, the price we will pay will be higher," he said.
On Thursday, Netanyahu ordered the Israeli army to launch a ground assault on the Gaza Strip, following 11 days of air and naval bombardment.
The assault came hours after both Israel and Palestinian factions held a five-hour ceasefire as requested by the United Nations to help Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to stock up on food.
At least 260 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1970 injured since Israeli attacks began in the blockaded Palestinian territory on July 7. One Israel has been killed.
On Monday, Egypt proposed a ceasefire between Gaza-based Palestinian factions and Israel.
While Israel initially accepted the Egyptian proposal, Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad said that the plan does not meet "conditions of the resistance".
Netanyahu said the Israeli army was instructed to prepare to widen its ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
"My instructions ... are to prepare for the possibility of significantly widening the ground operation, and the military is preparing accordingly," he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, for his part, warned that Hamas will pay a heavier price than we have exacted so far".
"We will not compromise the security of Israeli citizens or tolerate rocket firing on residents of the South," Ya’alon said.
Israeli Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that he supports the expansion of the Gaza ground operation.
"I think that the decision to extend the operation of the IDF in Gaza was the right decision," he said.
The ongoing operation, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is Israel's third major offensive against the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.
Israel's Netanyahu killing Gaza children: Hamas
Palestinian resistance faction Hamas on Friday accused Israel of intentionally targeting children during its ongoing military onslaught on the blockaded Gaza Strip, now in its second week.
"[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is murdering Gaza's children," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri asserted in a statement.
He pledged that the Israeli premier would pay a "heavy price" for killing Palestinian children in the embattled coastal territory.
Earlier Friday, three Palestinian children were killed when their residential building in the northern Gaza Strip was struck by Israeli artillery fire.
Since July 7, when Israel's offensive against the strip began, at least 264 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed in relentless air, naval and ground attacks.
Fifty-eight children and 28 women have been among those slain.
On Thursday night, the Israeli army began ground operations, sending troops into the Palestinian territory.
In recent days, thousands of Israeli troops had been called up and amassed on the strip's borders in advance of an anticipated ground assault.
Israel's ongoing offensive, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major assault on the embattled Gaza Strip – home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – in the last six years.

Dozens of Palestinians, including children, suffered from suffocation on Thursday due to inhaling what is being described as a "strange toxic gas" launched by the Israeli army during its ground incursion in the north and south of the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported. Anadolu quoted Dr. Ashraf Al-Qidra, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry in Gaza, as saying that: "Dozens of Palestinians, including children, arrived at hospitals suffering from suffocation after inhaling a white poisonous gas fired by the Israeli army in the northern Gaza Strip and in the Shawkah neighbourhood near Rafah, to the south."
Al-Qidra urged the Palestinians in Gaza "not to panic when they inhale the strange gas, to protect themselves using tarpaulin coats or nylon clothes and to cover the doors, windows and vents with a moist cloth to prevent air from leaking inside."
Al-Qidra urged the Palestinians in Gaza "not to panic when they inhale the strange gas, to protect themselves using tarpaulin coats or nylon clothes and to cover the doors, windows and vents with a moist cloth to prevent air from leaking inside."

As the Israeli assault continued by air and sea, dozens of Israeli military vehicles invaded the Palestinian territories west of the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip and in the south near Rafah while Israeli warplanes and helicopters flew over the area at low altitudes, in the largest escalation of violence since the start of the military operation last week.
A spokesperson for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of the ground operation against the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening, claiming that it aims to destroy the tunnels that Hamas uses to penetrate the Israeli territory.
However, the Middle East Eye reported that one of the first Palestinian casualties of the Israeli ground operation was a three-month old baby named Fares Al-Tarabeen.
The on-going military operation, dubbed by Israel "Operation Protective Edge", has so far resulted in the killing of at least 249 Palestinians and the wounding of 1860 others, according to Palestinian Health Ministry records.
A spokesperson for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of the ground operation against the Gaza Strip on Thursday evening, claiming that it aims to destroy the tunnels that Hamas uses to penetrate the Israeli territory.
However, the Middle East Eye reported that one of the first Palestinian casualties of the Israeli ground operation was a three-month old baby named Fares Al-Tarabeen.
The on-going military operation, dubbed by Israel "Operation Protective Edge", has so far resulted in the killing of at least 249 Palestinians and the wounding of 1860 others, according to Palestinian Health Ministry records.
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Palestinian mourners have gathered for the funeral of three Palestinian children who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday. Eight-year-old Jihad Issam Shuhaibar, his brother Wasim Issam Shuhaibar, seven, and their cousin, Afnan Tariq Shuhaibar, aged 10, were killed after a five-hour humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas expired. Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza later on Thursday.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to destroy tunnels linking Gaza to Israel. The prime minister's office also said that the Israeli military was "prepared for an expansion of the ground action". More than 230 Palestinians, including 39 children, have been killed in Israel's 10-day military operation in Gaza, and another 1,700 Palestinians have been injured. One Israeli has died. |
The United Nations has reported that about 25,000 Palestinian children [PDF] in Gaza are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and are in need of psychological help as a result of the ongoing Israeli military offensive.

American network NBC News has pulled out its correspondent Ayman Mohyeddin from the Gaza Strip following his unbiased coverage of the Israeli regime’s atrocities in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
The NBC News correspondent, who personally witnessed the Israeli military’s brutal murdering of four Palestinian boys who were playing on a beach in Gaza on Wednesday, was ordered by the network’s executives to leave the Palestinian territory immediately.
Mohyeddin’s witness account of the killing of the four young boys by Israeli gunboat fire has gone viral online. On the air, Mohyeldin recounted how, moments before their death, he was kicking a soccer ball with the four boys, who were between the ages of 9 and 11 and all from the same family.
According to an NBC source, the network’s executives claimed the decision was motivated by “security concerns” amid reports that an Israeli military’s ground incursion into Gaza was looming.
This is while the news outlet dispatched another correspondent, Richard Engel, to Gaza late on Wednesday to replace Mohyeddin. Engel was accompanied by an American producer, who has never been to Gaza and does not speak Arabic, according to sources familiar with the issue.
The network refused on Thursday to issue any further public comments. It also failed to explain why the security issues that demanded Mohyeddin’s exit from Gaza did not apply to Engel.
The move by the NBC to pull out Mohyeddin has been widely criticized by experts and the public alike, triggering an online campaign called “Let Ayman Report.”
Like many other mainstream media outlets in the US, the NBC News is also known for censoring various stories it finds against the US and the Israeli regime’s interests.
The NBC News correspondent, who personally witnessed the Israeli military’s brutal murdering of four Palestinian boys who were playing on a beach in Gaza on Wednesday, was ordered by the network’s executives to leave the Palestinian territory immediately.
Mohyeddin’s witness account of the killing of the four young boys by Israeli gunboat fire has gone viral online. On the air, Mohyeldin recounted how, moments before their death, he was kicking a soccer ball with the four boys, who were between the ages of 9 and 11 and all from the same family.
According to an NBC source, the network’s executives claimed the decision was motivated by “security concerns” amid reports that an Israeli military’s ground incursion into Gaza was looming.
This is while the news outlet dispatched another correspondent, Richard Engel, to Gaza late on Wednesday to replace Mohyeddin. Engel was accompanied by an American producer, who has never been to Gaza and does not speak Arabic, according to sources familiar with the issue.
The network refused on Thursday to issue any further public comments. It also failed to explain why the security issues that demanded Mohyeddin’s exit from Gaza did not apply to Engel.
The move by the NBC to pull out Mohyeddin has been widely criticized by experts and the public alike, triggering an online campaign called “Let Ayman Report.”
Like many other mainstream media outlets in the US, the NBC News is also known for censoring various stories it finds against the US and the Israeli regime’s interests.

Slain Palestinian Children
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that three siblings have been killed after an Israeli missile struck their bedroom, as they slept, in Abraj a-Nada residential area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The slain children have been identified as Ahmad Ismael Abu Musallam, 14, his brother Mohammad, 13, and their sister Wala’, 12. Their remains were moved to the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Another Palestinian was killed when the army bombarded Um An-Nasr village, in northern Gaza; his name remained unknown until the time of this report.
The army fired more tank 200 tank shells, while around 110 shells were fired by navy ships, overnight.
Dozens of residents, including children, have been injured by Israeli fire and shells since early dawn hours, Friday.
Armed resistance in Gaza exchanged fire with invading Israeli forces in a number of border areas in Gaza, mainly central Gaza, and the northern part of the coastal region.
The Ministry of Health said 27 Palestinians have been killed since the ground offensive was initiated by Israel on Thursday evening, while at least 264, including entire families, have been killed since July 8. More than 2000 Have been injured.
Most of the casualties are civilians, including children, women, elderly, medics and rescue teams.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that three siblings have been killed after an Israeli missile struck their bedroom, as they slept, in Abraj a-Nada residential area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The slain children have been identified as Ahmad Ismael Abu Musallam, 14, his brother Mohammad, 13, and their sister Wala’, 12. Their remains were moved to the Kamal Adwan Hospital.
Another Palestinian was killed when the army bombarded Um An-Nasr village, in northern Gaza; his name remained unknown until the time of this report.
The army fired more tank 200 tank shells, while around 110 shells were fired by navy ships, overnight.
Dozens of residents, including children, have been injured by Israeli fire and shells since early dawn hours, Friday.
Armed resistance in Gaza exchanged fire with invading Israeli forces in a number of border areas in Gaza, mainly central Gaza, and the northern part of the coastal region.
The Ministry of Health said 27 Palestinians have been killed since the ground offensive was initiated by Israel on Thursday evening, while at least 264, including entire families, have been killed since July 8. More than 2000 Have been injured.
Most of the casualties are civilians, including children, women, elderly, medics and rescue teams.

Israeli Crowd Cheers As Missile Hits Gaza Live On CNN … But CNN reporter think you should not SEE their cheers
Israeli people does not spare a chance to express their hatred and thirst for blood.
Eight years ago, the Zionists and their ilk opened doors of hell on me when I first published the infamous photos of the Israeli little girls, signing their “Die with Love” message on bombs in their way to be fired at innocent civilians in S. Lebanon.
The Zionist then did not admit to be the inhuman they are.
But who can forget the massacres that the Israeli terrorist gangs committed in that war.
Israeli people does not spare a chance to express their hatred and thirst for blood.
Eight years ago, the Zionists and their ilk opened doors of hell on me when I first published the infamous photos of the Israeli little girls, signing their “Die with Love” message on bombs in their way to be fired at innocent civilians in S. Lebanon.
The Zionist then did not admit to be the inhuman they are.
But who can forget the massacres that the Israeli terrorist gangs committed in that war.

CNN reporter deletes tweet about crowd cheering rocket attack in Gaza
Two days ago, I published new photos taken from an interview with some Israeli soldiers stating their “mission” loud and clear – “All these Arabs should be killed”. “There’s nothing we can do. There won’t be peace with them. RETARDS“.
That’s all what they learned to feel toward and do with the owners of the lands they occupy, the Historic Palestine.
And few days ago, HUMANS were disgusted, again and again, when they saw the pictures of the Israelis sitting in the so called “Sderot Cinema”, eating popcorn, drinking beer, cheering and enjoying the hell-show falling on Gazans heads.
Two days ago, I published new photos taken from an interview with some Israeli soldiers stating their “mission” loud and clear – “All these Arabs should be killed”. “There’s nothing we can do. There won’t be peace with them. RETARDS“.
That’s all what they learned to feel toward and do with the owners of the lands they occupy, the Historic Palestine.
And few days ago, HUMANS were disgusted, again and again, when they saw the pictures of the Israelis sitting in the so called “Sderot Cinema”, eating popcorn, drinking beer, cheering and enjoying the hell-show falling on Gazans heads.
You find the photo's/video's disturbing? Remember, this is what Palestinian children see almost every day
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