Medical official: Ongoing Israeli strikes kill 31 Palestinians in Gaza

Source: Xinhua | 01-11-2009 09:13

GAZA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army intensified on Saturday evening its air and ground strikes on different targets in Gaza Strip, killing 31 Palestinians and wounding more than 60 others during the day, medical official said.

Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that nine more Palestinians were killed and 15 others wounded in the evening in northern Gaza towns of Beit Lahia and Jabalia and in the Beach refugee camp in western Gaza City.

The witnesses said that three civilians from the same family were killed in a house in Beit Lahia town area of al-Salattin in northern Gaza Strip after Israeli tanks struck their house. An Islamic Jihad militant and two children were also killed on Saturday evening.

Other witnesses in the Beach refugee camp (Shati' camp) in western Gaza City said that two people were killed after an Israeli warplane struck one missile on their car when they drove on the way to the camp.

Hamas said that one of its top militants called Amir el-Mansi, also a rocket expert, was killed as he was driving his car in the Beach refugee camp.

Hassanein said that so far 31 Palestinians were killed during the day, and more than 50 wounded in a series of warplanes airstrikes and tanks shelling on houses and cars all over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

He added that the death toll since the beginning of the Israeli military offensive on Gaza, which began on Dec. 27 had risen to 824, and more than 3,500 were wounded.

Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements' armed wing said in separate leaflets that their militants fired several Russian-made and homemade rockets from Gaza at Israel.

Israeli Radio reported that one of the rockets struck a house in southern costal Israeli town of Ashkelon, wounding several Israelis and causing severe damage to the house.

Editor:Xiong Qu