Israeli warplanes strike Gaza Hamas police station

Source: Xinhua | 02-02-2009 09:09

GAZA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli jets struck on Sunday night a police station belongs to the deposed Hamas government in central Gaza Strip, but no injuries were reported, witnesses and security sources said.

The witnesses said that Israeli F-16 warplanes hovered over the central area of the Gaza Strip, and struck one missile at a policepost that belongs to the Hamas police, adding the post was completely destroyed, but no injuries reported.

The Israeli warplane airstrikes on Hamas police station came hours after eight homemade rockets and mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli communities in the vicinity of the enclave into Israel.

No one claimed responsibility for the rockets and mortars' attacks. However, Israel held Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, responsible for the attacks which were carried out from Gaza at Israel.

Earlier on Sunday, Gaza Strip residents said they received recorded warning phone calls on their cell phones.

They said that an Israeli army spokesman said in Arabic that it was a warning message. All the residents living in the area near the border between the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah and Egypt has to move back to the northern part of the town.

The residents said they understood that the Israeli army may strike the borderline area to destroy underground tunnels that are still operating and the Palestinians keep using them for smuggling.

In Jan. 18, Israel ends a furious 22-day military offensive on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, leaving around 1,400 people killed and5,500 wounded.

Egypt has been exerting to mediate longer term truce between Israel and Gaza militants led by Hamas movement. A one-and-half-year ceasefire is expected to be declared on Feb. 5.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei