19 july 2014
An Israeli soldier was injured in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported on Saturday morning.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that an Israeli soldier sustained "moderate gun wounds" and was subsequently hospitalized at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
10 Israeli soldiers have been injured by Palestinian fighters since the ground invasion began on Thursday evening, and one Israeli soldier has died.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz said that an Israeli soldier sustained "moderate gun wounds" and was subsequently hospitalized at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer.
An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
10 Israeli soldiers have been injured by Palestinian fighters since the ground invasion began on Thursday evening, and one Israeli soldier has died.
Palestinian medical sources said a child was killed and eight members of his family were injured in the latest Israeli attack Saturday on a house in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.
The sources identified the victim to Ma'an as Muhammad Ziad al-Ruhhal.
Seven Palestinians were injured during Israeli attacks on homes belonging to al-Barawi family in the northern Gaza Strip. Several others were injured in attacks targeting home of Abu Jalal family in al-Maghazi in central Gaza.
The sources identified the victim to Ma'an as Muhammad Ziad al-Ruhhal.
Seven Palestinians were injured during Israeli attacks on homes belonging to al-Barawi family in the northern Gaza Strip. Several others were injured in attacks targeting home of Abu Jalal family in al-Maghazi in central Gaza.
Palestinian militants injured three Israeli soldiers during fierce fighting in the northern Gaza Strip early Saturday as the ground invasion entered its second day.
The Israeli army told Ma'an on Saturday that the solders were "operating" in the area of Beit Lahiya after midnight when a Palestinian gunman opened fire in their direction.
Although the soldiers responded with fire at the gunman, one Israeli soldier was "moderately wounded" and two others were "lightly wounded" in the gunfight.
Israeli news site Haaretz said that one of the soldiers was an officer and that he had sustained "serious injuries."
Beit Lahiya was the site of intense clashes on Friday, as eyewitnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces were forced to pull out of the area due to stiff resistance from Palestinian militant groups.
The attack brings the number of Israeli soldiers injured since the beginning of the ground invasion to 10, after seven were injured in fighting on Friday.
One Israeli soldier was also killed early Friday, although an initial army probe suggested the death was possibly a result of friendly fire.
The Israeli army told Ma'an on Saturday that the solders were "operating" in the area of Beit Lahiya after midnight when a Palestinian gunman opened fire in their direction.
Although the soldiers responded with fire at the gunman, one Israeli soldier was "moderately wounded" and two others were "lightly wounded" in the gunfight.
Israeli news site Haaretz said that one of the soldiers was an officer and that he had sustained "serious injuries."
Beit Lahiya was the site of intense clashes on Friday, as eyewitnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces were forced to pull out of the area due to stiff resistance from Palestinian militant groups.
The attack brings the number of Israeli soldiers injured since the beginning of the ground invasion to 10, after seven were injured in fighting on Friday.
One Israeli soldier was also killed early Friday, although an initial army probe suggested the death was possibly a result of friendly fire.
Al-Nassar Salah al-Din Brigades said on Saturday that they killed an Israeli soldier and injured three others during fighting in Beit Lahiya on Saturday morning.
An Israeli military spokesman did not have any information regarding the incident.
An Israeli military spokesman did not have any information regarding the incident.
The military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement said on Saturday that its fighters had detonated explosives targeting two Israeli military tanks in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip earlier in the day.
The al-Quds Brigades said in a statement that a large underground explosive device hit an Israeli military tank in an agricultural area in northern Beit Hanoun, while another Israeli tank was hit in a grove in Beit Hanoun.
The statement added that Palestinian fighters seized a large machine gun which was on top of one of the Israeli military tanks.
Israel has faced fierce resistance from Palestinians militants since it launched its ground invasion of the Gaza Strip late Thursday, with at least one soldier dead and seven injured in the fighting.
On Friday, eyewitnesses said that Israeli tanks had withdrawn from Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip after intense clashes with members of Hamas' military wing the al-Qassam Brigades in the area.
The Israeli military claimed on Friday to have killed 19 Palestinian fighters and detained 17 for interrogation since the ground invasion began.
The al-Quds Brigades said in a statement that a large underground explosive device hit an Israeli military tank in an agricultural area in northern Beit Hanoun, while another Israeli tank was hit in a grove in Beit Hanoun.
The statement added that Palestinian fighters seized a large machine gun which was on top of one of the Israeli military tanks.
Israel has faced fierce resistance from Palestinians militants since it launched its ground invasion of the Gaza Strip late Thursday, with at least one soldier dead and seven injured in the fighting.
On Friday, eyewitnesses said that Israeli tanks had withdrawn from Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip after intense clashes with members of Hamas' military wing the al-Qassam Brigades in the area.
The Israeli military claimed on Friday to have killed 19 Palestinian fighters and detained 17 for interrogation since the ground invasion began.
The number of displaced Gazans has almost doubled in the past 24 hours, hitting 40,000 people since Israel began a major ground operation, a UN agency said on Friday.
"The number of people coming to UNRWA seeking sanctuary from the fighting in Gaza has nearly doubled today. It has risen from 22,000 to over 40,000," said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
"We are accommodating them in 34 UNRWA shelters," he said, adding that the agency had launched an urgent appeal for $60 million to cover the cost of sheltering the displaced over the next month and for other emergency measures to the end of the year.
"The number of people coming to UNRWA seeking sanctuary from the fighting in Gaza has nearly doubled today. It has risen from 22,000 to over 40,000," said Chris Gunness, a spokesman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
"We are accommodating them in 34 UNRWA shelters," he said, adding that the agency had launched an urgent appeal for $60 million to cover the cost of sheltering the displaced over the next month and for other emergency measures to the end of the year.
Turkish EU Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has publicly denounced Western nations and those of the Muslim world for their silence over Israel's ongoing assault on the Gaza Strip which has, so far, claimed at least 319 lives, as of the time of this report.
"We curse Israel's atrocity," Mr. Cavusoglu said, speaking on behalf of Turkey. "We are tired of your double standards, and hypocrisy," he said, referring to EU countries which he asserts are pretending to stand for democracy.
According to a recent report by Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the minister addressed the EU with regard to its ignorance over the unacceptable number of civilian deaths inflicted on Gaza by the Israeli army, let alone the basic human rights of Palestinian people.
He additionally slammed the Muslim world for remaining silent on the Israeli onslaught, saying: "Where are the Muslim countries, what do they fear and why are they remaining silent?"
"We curse Israel's atrocity," Mr. Cavusoglu said, speaking on behalf of Turkey. "We are tired of your double standards, and hypocrisy," he said, referring to EU countries which he asserts are pretending to stand for democracy.
According to a recent report by Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the minister addressed the EU with regard to its ignorance over the unacceptable number of civilian deaths inflicted on Gaza by the Israeli army, let alone the basic human rights of Palestinian people.
He additionally slammed the Muslim world for remaining silent on the Israeli onslaught, saying: "Where are the Muslim countries, what do they fear and why are they remaining silent?"
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has slammed Turkey's handling of violent anti-Israeli protests in Ankara and Istanbul, in a diplomatic spat over the assault on Gaza.
Lieberman accused Turkey of not taking the "necessary preventative measures" to stop protests getting violent after people angered by the offensive in Gaza tried to storm Israeli embassy buildings.
"Israel protests strongly against the flagrant violation of diplomatic rules by Turkish authorities and security forces during demonstrations after the inflammatory statements of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Lieberman said in a statement late Friday.
Israel on Friday ordered some of its diplomatic staff in Turkey to leave the country for security reasons.
Turkish protesters overnight tried to break into the ambassador's residence in Ankara as well as the consulate in Istanbul, with the diplomatic controversy over the Gaza assault risking a new crisis in relations with Turkey.
Public radio said the foreign ministry had advised Israelis against non-essential travel to Turkey.
Erdogan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has vehemently criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, accusing Israel of carrying out a "genocide" of Palestinians in an operation that has killed more than 300 people in the besieged Strip.
"Israel is a state which knows very well how to kill children," Erdogan said Friday.
The unrest came as President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Turkey to urge support for an Egyptian ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
Hamas, the main power in the Gaza Strip, rejected an initial ceasefire proposal Tuesday by Egypt, which is ruled by a regime hostile to the Islamist movement.
Erdogan has ruled out any improvement in troubled ties with Israel as long as he remained in power.
Erdogan on Friday also slammed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as an illegitimate tyrant, saying Cairo could not be relied upon to negotiate a truce with Israel.
"Is Sisi a party (to a ceasefire)? Sisi is a tyrant himself," Erdogan told reporters.
Lieberman accused Turkey of not taking the "necessary preventative measures" to stop protests getting violent after people angered by the offensive in Gaza tried to storm Israeli embassy buildings.
"Israel protests strongly against the flagrant violation of diplomatic rules by Turkish authorities and security forces during demonstrations after the inflammatory statements of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Lieberman said in a statement late Friday.
Israel on Friday ordered some of its diplomatic staff in Turkey to leave the country for security reasons.
Turkish protesters overnight tried to break into the ambassador's residence in Ankara as well as the consulate in Istanbul, with the diplomatic controversy over the Gaza assault risking a new crisis in relations with Turkey.
Public radio said the foreign ministry had advised Israelis against non-essential travel to Turkey.
Erdogan, a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has vehemently criticized Israeli actions in Gaza, accusing Israel of carrying out a "genocide" of Palestinians in an operation that has killed more than 300 people in the besieged Strip.
"Israel is a state which knows very well how to kill children," Erdogan said Friday.
The unrest came as President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Turkey to urge support for an Egyptian ceasefire proposal in Gaza.
Hamas, the main power in the Gaza Strip, rejected an initial ceasefire proposal Tuesday by Egypt, which is ruled by a regime hostile to the Islamist movement.
Erdogan has ruled out any improvement in troubled ties with Israel as long as he remained in power.
Erdogan on Friday also slammed Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as an illegitimate tyrant, saying Cairo could not be relied upon to negotiate a truce with Israel.
"Is Sisi a party (to a ceasefire)? Sisi is a tyrant himself," Erdogan told reporters.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will fly to the Middle East in an effort to broker and end to the violence in Gaza, an official told an emergency session of the Security Council on Friday.
Under secretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman said a two-state solution was the only way to break the "seemingly endless cycle" of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
"The secretary general is prepared to do his part. He will leave for the region tomorrow to express solidarity with the Israelis and Palestinians," Feltman told emergency talks at the Council.
The UN chief will "help" Israelis and Palestinians "in coordination with regional and international actors, end the violence and find a way forward," Feltman said.
Israel warned Friday it could broaden a Gaza ground assault aimed at smashing Hamas's network of cross-border tunnels, as intensifying tank fire raised the Palestinian death toll to 285.
Two Israelis have also been killed, one soldier and one civilian.
The United Nations has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel, conducting air strikes and ground incursions into Gaza, and Hamas, bombarding Israeli cities with rocket attacks.
"Unless we address the root causes of the current escalation this dreadful violence will occur again and again. We cannot return to the status quo," Feltman said.
"Once calm is restored it is imperative to immediately tackle the underlying causes," he added.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor and his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Mansour traded accusations of blame for the latest violence.
Prosor said Israel was "forced to wage war against a terrorist group committed to our destruction."
For 10 days five million Israelis have had seconds to run to a bomb shelter as rockets have targeted the country's largest cities, he said.
"There is no country in the world that would tolerate such an assault on its citizens and Israel should not be expected to either," he said.
Prosor lashed out at international support for the Palestinian unity government, saying it provided cover for Hamas to weave incitement, violence and terror against Israelis.
Mansour, who read out the names of Palestinian dead and at one point appeared close to tears, accused Israel of inflicting "yet another disaster" on the densely-populated, narrow Gaza Strip.
If the council cannot protect Palestinians, they would "turn to the judicial bodies of the United Nations and the international system," he said, referring to the International Criminal Court.
"This savage Israeli aggression cannot be justified by any means. It is not 'self-defense' -- it is a vengeful military aggression intentionally planned and perpetrated," he said.
He said the overwhelmingly majority of casualties are Palestinian civilians, including 62 children, 24 women and 17 elderly, reading out the names of those killed in the last week.
He demanded that the council adopt a resolution condemning Israel's military operation, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the Israeli blockade.
US ambassador Samantha Power said Hamas rocket attacks were unacceptable and that Israel had a right to defend its citizens, but called on all parties to protect civilians.
Chinese ambassador Liu Jieyi issued a stern rebuke to Israel, saying: "Whatever the excuse is, any action which causes heavy casualties among innocent civilians is unacceptable."
Beijing was ready to work to ease the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and towards peace in the Middle East, he said.
Under secretary general for political affairs Jeffrey Feltman said a two-state solution was the only way to break the "seemingly endless cycle" of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
"The secretary general is prepared to do his part. He will leave for the region tomorrow to express solidarity with the Israelis and Palestinians," Feltman told emergency talks at the Council.
The UN chief will "help" Israelis and Palestinians "in coordination with regional and international actors, end the violence and find a way forward," Feltman said.
Israel warned Friday it could broaden a Gaza ground assault aimed at smashing Hamas's network of cross-border tunnels, as intensifying tank fire raised the Palestinian death toll to 285.
Two Israelis have also been killed, one soldier and one civilian.
The United Nations has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel, conducting air strikes and ground incursions into Gaza, and Hamas, bombarding Israeli cities with rocket attacks.
"Unless we address the root causes of the current escalation this dreadful violence will occur again and again. We cannot return to the status quo," Feltman said.
"Once calm is restored it is imperative to immediately tackle the underlying causes," he added.
Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor and his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Mansour traded accusations of blame for the latest violence.
Prosor said Israel was "forced to wage war against a terrorist group committed to our destruction."
For 10 days five million Israelis have had seconds to run to a bomb shelter as rockets have targeted the country's largest cities, he said.
"There is no country in the world that would tolerate such an assault on its citizens and Israel should not be expected to either," he said.
Prosor lashed out at international support for the Palestinian unity government, saying it provided cover for Hamas to weave incitement, violence and terror against Israelis.
Mansour, who read out the names of Palestinian dead and at one point appeared close to tears, accused Israel of inflicting "yet another disaster" on the densely-populated, narrow Gaza Strip.
If the council cannot protect Palestinians, they would "turn to the judicial bodies of the United Nations and the international system," he said, referring to the International Criminal Court.
"This savage Israeli aggression cannot be justified by any means. It is not 'self-defense' -- it is a vengeful military aggression intentionally planned and perpetrated," he said.
He said the overwhelmingly majority of casualties are Palestinian civilians, including 62 children, 24 women and 17 elderly, reading out the names of those killed in the last week.
He demanded that the council adopt a resolution condemning Israel's military operation, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the Israeli blockade.
US ambassador Samantha Power said Hamas rocket attacks were unacceptable and that Israel had a right to defend its citizens, but called on all parties to protect civilians.
Chinese ambassador Liu Jieyi issued a stern rebuke to Israel, saying: "Whatever the excuse is, any action which causes heavy casualties among innocent civilians is unacceptable."
Beijing was ready to work to ease the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and towards peace in the Middle East, he said.
Family Killed By Israeli Shell
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that seven Palestinians, four of them members of one family, have been killed on Saturday, in the pre-dawn hours, when Israeli missiles struck their homes in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. One was killed in northern Gaza, and another was killed in central Gaza.
Medical sources in Gaza said that a Palestinian was killed, on Saturday at dawn, during ongoing Israeli bombardment of Khan Younis. Many have been injured.
The Ministry of Health In Gaza said the slain Palestinian have been identified as:
1. Raed Walid Walfan, 27, Khan Younis.
In an earlier incident, medics and rescue teams rushed to the bombarded homes in Khan Younis, and located the remains of seven Palestinians, while several civilians were also wounded in the airstrikes, which targeted the family homes of the as-Serry, Salhiyya and Nassr families. The remains of the eights Palestinians were found, and identified, later on.
The Ministry said the seven slain Palestinians have been identified as:
2. Yahia Bassam as-Serry, 20, Khan Younis.
3. Mohammad Bassam as-Serry, 17, Khan Younis.
4. Mahmoud Rida Salhiyya, 56, Khan Younis.
5. Mustafa Rida Salhiyya, 21, Khan Younis.
6. Mohammad Mustafa Salhiyya, 22, Khan Younis.
7. Waseem Rida Salhiyya, 15, Khan Younis.
8. Ibrahim Jamal Kamal Nassr, 13, Khan Younis.
Another Palestinian was killed when the army fired missiles into the an-Nada residential Towers, in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
He has been identified as:
9. Ahmad Mahmoud Hasan Aziz, 34, Beit Hanoun.
In addition, a Palestinian was killed in Juhr ed-Deek, in central Gaza, the Ministry of Health said.
He has been identified as:
10. Sa’id Ali Issa, 30, Juhr ed-Deek, Central Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli offensive has led to the death of 310 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including entire families, since the offensive on Gaza started on Tuesday July 8.
Israeli missiles and shells have injured approximately 2,250 Palestinians, including 640 children, 400 women, and 90 elderly.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that seven Palestinians, four of them members of one family, have been killed on Saturday, in the pre-dawn hours, when Israeli missiles struck their homes in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. One was killed in northern Gaza, and another was killed in central Gaza.
Medical sources in Gaza said that a Palestinian was killed, on Saturday at dawn, during ongoing Israeli bombardment of Khan Younis. Many have been injured.
The Ministry of Health In Gaza said the slain Palestinian have been identified as:
1. Raed Walid Walfan, 27, Khan Younis.
In an earlier incident, medics and rescue teams rushed to the bombarded homes in Khan Younis, and located the remains of seven Palestinians, while several civilians were also wounded in the airstrikes, which targeted the family homes of the as-Serry, Salhiyya and Nassr families. The remains of the eights Palestinians were found, and identified, later on.
The Ministry said the seven slain Palestinians have been identified as:
2. Yahia Bassam as-Serry, 20, Khan Younis.
3. Mohammad Bassam as-Serry, 17, Khan Younis.
4. Mahmoud Rida Salhiyya, 56, Khan Younis.
5. Mustafa Rida Salhiyya, 21, Khan Younis.
6. Mohammad Mustafa Salhiyya, 22, Khan Younis.
7. Waseem Rida Salhiyya, 15, Khan Younis.
8. Ibrahim Jamal Kamal Nassr, 13, Khan Younis.
Another Palestinian was killed when the army fired missiles into the an-Nada residential Towers, in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
He has been identified as:
9. Ahmad Mahmoud Hasan Aziz, 34, Beit Hanoun.
In addition, a Palestinian was killed in Juhr ed-Deek, in central Gaza, the Ministry of Health said.
He has been identified as:
10. Sa’id Ali Issa, 30, Juhr ed-Deek, Central Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli offensive has led to the death of 310 Palestinians, most of them civilians, including entire families, since the offensive on Gaza started on Tuesday July 8.
Israeli missiles and shells have injured approximately 2,250 Palestinians, including 640 children, 400 women, and 90 elderly.
At least eight members of a single family, among them four children, were killed by Israeli tank fire in northern Gaza on Friday evening, medics said.
The eight members of the Abu Jurad family -- two men, two women, and four children -- were killed in their home in Beit Hanoun, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.
He had given an initial toll of five dead in the attack, but revised it upwards to eight, adding the deaths of three additional children from the family.
He gave the names of the children as Hania, Ahlam, Samih and Musa -- two girls and two boys.
Their deaths raised the toll on the eleventh day of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to 292 killed in Gaza.
Two Israelis have been killed, one civilian and one soldier.
The eight members of the Abu Jurad family -- two men, two women, and four children -- were killed in their home in Beit Hanoun, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.
He had given an initial toll of five dead in the attack, but revised it upwards to eight, adding the deaths of three additional children from the family.
He gave the names of the children as Hania, Ahlam, Samih and Musa -- two girls and two boys.
Their deaths raised the toll on the eleventh day of conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas to 292 killed in Gaza.
Two Israelis have been killed, one civilian and one soldier.
By Haitham El-Tabei
As Israeli forces pressed a ground operation in Gaza on Friday, many Egyptians and foreigners fled to Egypt through the Rafah crossing, escaping what some said was "sure death" in the Palestinian enclave.
At least 274 Palestinians have been killed so far in the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas that is the main power in Gaza.
The death toll soared on Friday as Israeli troops fanned out across parts of Gaza in search of tunnels they say are being used by Hamas to smuggle in rockets and to infiltrate Israeli lines.
Israeli boots on the ground proved the last straw for many Egyptians and foreigners, who had stayed on in Gaza during 10 days of blistering Israeli air strikes.
"I did not want to leave my house, but last night was very difficult with the ground operation," said Sohair Massoud, an Egyptian mother of four, as she crossed into Egypt from Gaza through Rafah.
Artillery, air strikes
Massoud, who is married to a Palestinian, said Israeli forces struck her neighbourhood in the Palestinian side of Rafah with artillery fire and air strikes.
Escaping what she said was "sure death", she decided to flee to Egypt.
However, even the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing was tense on Friday, with drones flying overhead and Egyptian army tanks along with ambulances and taxis lined up to assist families and wounded Palestinians as they arrived through the crossing.
A security official said the Egyptian authorities were allowing Egyptians and foreign nationals to enter "on humanitarian grounds" after confirming their identities. Palestinians are not permitted through the crossing except in special circumstances.
Um Ahmed, dressed in a traditional hijab and wearing a niqab, said her journey from her house in Gaza to the crossing had been "extremely difficult".
She could scarcely believe she had managed to make it safely with her children under the barrage of Israeli artillery shelling.
"My husband's cousin, who was part of the resistance (Hamas militants), was martyred and we have not received his body yet. We do not want to lose another member of our family," she said.
"You saved us, you saved us," said 50-year-old Algerian Elham Abu Daghma, praising an Egyptian soldier as she crossed through the frontier, speaking above the sound of deafening blasts on the Palestinian side.
Abu Daghma, also married to a Palestinian, moved to Gaza seven months ago but now all she wants to do is return to Algeria.
Life in the coastal strip, she said, had become "unbearable with no water, no electricity and no food."
Those who managed to escape, however, fear for the safety of relatives still in Gaza.
"We lived through tough and deadly days and it will only get worse for our relatives who we unfortunately left behind in Gaza," said Mosab, son of Um Ahmed.
His sister Samira was only too pleased to be out of Gaza, saying she felt she had been given a new lease of life.
"The shelling did not differentiate between the resistance and civilians. We could not even leave the house," she said, holding her two-year-old daughter by the hand.
"We used to gather in one room, to be together in case we died."
As Israeli forces pressed a ground operation in Gaza on Friday, many Egyptians and foreigners fled to Egypt through the Rafah crossing, escaping what some said was "sure death" in the Palestinian enclave.
At least 274 Palestinians have been killed so far in the 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas that is the main power in Gaza.
The death toll soared on Friday as Israeli troops fanned out across parts of Gaza in search of tunnels they say are being used by Hamas to smuggle in rockets and to infiltrate Israeli lines.
Israeli boots on the ground proved the last straw for many Egyptians and foreigners, who had stayed on in Gaza during 10 days of blistering Israeli air strikes.
"I did not want to leave my house, but last night was very difficult with the ground operation," said Sohair Massoud, an Egyptian mother of four, as she crossed into Egypt from Gaza through Rafah.
Artillery, air strikes
Massoud, who is married to a Palestinian, said Israeli forces struck her neighbourhood in the Palestinian side of Rafah with artillery fire and air strikes.
Escaping what she said was "sure death", she decided to flee to Egypt.
However, even the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing was tense on Friday, with drones flying overhead and Egyptian army tanks along with ambulances and taxis lined up to assist families and wounded Palestinians as they arrived through the crossing.
A security official said the Egyptian authorities were allowing Egyptians and foreign nationals to enter "on humanitarian grounds" after confirming their identities. Palestinians are not permitted through the crossing except in special circumstances.
Um Ahmed, dressed in a traditional hijab and wearing a niqab, said her journey from her house in Gaza to the crossing had been "extremely difficult".
She could scarcely believe she had managed to make it safely with her children under the barrage of Israeli artillery shelling.
"My husband's cousin, who was part of the resistance (Hamas militants), was martyred and we have not received his body yet. We do not want to lose another member of our family," she said.
"You saved us, you saved us," said 50-year-old Algerian Elham Abu Daghma, praising an Egyptian soldier as she crossed through the frontier, speaking above the sound of deafening blasts on the Palestinian side.
Abu Daghma, also married to a Palestinian, moved to Gaza seven months ago but now all she wants to do is return to Algeria.
Life in the coastal strip, she said, had become "unbearable with no water, no electricity and no food."
Those who managed to escape, however, fear for the safety of relatives still in Gaza.
"We lived through tough and deadly days and it will only get worse for our relatives who we unfortunately left behind in Gaza," said Mosab, son of Um Ahmed.
His sister Samira was only too pleased to be out of Gaza, saying she felt she had been given a new lease of life.
"The shelling did not differentiate between the resistance and civilians. We could not even leave the house," she said, holding her two-year-old daughter by the hand.
"We used to gather in one room, to be together in case we died."
A Norwegian doctor working in Gaza has strongly criticized Israel for using cancer-inducing bombs against Palestinian civilians.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, Dr. Erik Fosse recently stated to Press TV that the majority of patients hospitalized in Gaza are civilians injured in attacks on their homes, and that about thirty percent of these victims are children.
Dense Inert Metal Explosive, known as DIME, is an explosive device developed to minimize damage to things that are incidental to the intended target, known as "collateral damage".
The bombs reportedly effect a relatively small but rather significantly damaging blast radius, and are believed by medical experts to have severe biological effects on those hit with the bomb’s micro-shrapnel.
DIME munitions were developed by the US Air Force, in 2006, and have since been tested repeatedly on the people of Gaza, who, according to the Electronic Intifada, have long served as involuntary lab rats for Israel’s weapons industry.
DIME bombs contain tungsten, a cancer-causing metal which helps to produce blasts which slice through flesh and bone, often completely destroying the lower limbs of people within the blast radius.
See related link: Israel DIME Weapon effect on Gaza-Article and Gallery
(Warning -- graphic images.)
The doctor also says that some Palestinians in the besieged enclave have been wounded by a new type of weapon which even doctors with previous experience in war zones do not recognize.
Israel has used banned weapons in the past, including depleted-uranium and white phosphorus, which is nearly impossible to extiguish and leaves its victim hideously burned and scarred, should he or she even survive such an attack.
The ground assault continues in Gaza, today, with nearly 300 reported deaths and over 2,000 wounded in Gaza, to include elderly, disabled and children not even a year old -- all victims of targets which include mostly civilian homes, hospitals and municipal facilities.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, Dr. Erik Fosse recently stated to Press TV that the majority of patients hospitalized in Gaza are civilians injured in attacks on their homes, and that about thirty percent of these victims are children.
Dense Inert Metal Explosive, known as DIME, is an explosive device developed to minimize damage to things that are incidental to the intended target, known as "collateral damage".
The bombs reportedly effect a relatively small but rather significantly damaging blast radius, and are believed by medical experts to have severe biological effects on those hit with the bomb’s micro-shrapnel.
DIME munitions were developed by the US Air Force, in 2006, and have since been tested repeatedly on the people of Gaza, who, according to the Electronic Intifada, have long served as involuntary lab rats for Israel’s weapons industry.
DIME bombs contain tungsten, a cancer-causing metal which helps to produce blasts which slice through flesh and bone, often completely destroying the lower limbs of people within the blast radius.
See related link: Israel DIME Weapon effect on Gaza-Article and Gallery
(Warning -- graphic images.)
The doctor also says that some Palestinians in the besieged enclave have been wounded by a new type of weapon which even doctors with previous experience in war zones do not recognize.
Israel has used banned weapons in the past, including depleted-uranium and white phosphorus, which is nearly impossible to extiguish and leaves its victim hideously burned and scarred, should he or she even survive such an attack.
The ground assault continues in Gaza, today, with nearly 300 reported deaths and over 2,000 wounded in Gaza, to include elderly, disabled and children not even a year old -- all victims of targets which include mostly civilian homes, hospitals and municipal facilities.
