Israeli shells kill 18 women and children in Gaza
AP/The Age
Israeli tank shells landed in a residential neighbourhood north of Beit Hanoun early yesterday, killing at least 18 people, including eight children, in their sleep, according to witnesses.
Khaled Radi, a Health Ministry official, said of the 18 dead, 13 were from the same family. He said at least 40 more were wounded, all civilians.
According to witnesses, all those killed were women and children. Four hospitals were treating the wounded across Gaza.
Palestinian security officials said that five tank shells landed in the area within 15 minutes. Most the casualties were caused to a row of homes belonging to members of one family.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack. "This is a horrible, ugly massacre committed by the occupation against our children, our women and elderly in Beit Hanoun," he said.
"We urge and call the (UN) Security Council to convene immediately to stop the massacres committed against our people."
In a huge demonstration outside the morgue at the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, thousands called for revenge.
"We are going to launch our rockets, our martyrs are going to sacrifice their lives in the depths of our occupied land," said Nizar Rayan, a Hamas leader in northern Gaza.
Thousands gathered outside hospitals weeping as the bodies arrived. Witnesses said that many of the dead arrived in sleeping clothes.
The shelling came after Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank killed at least 15 people following a pull-out from the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun at the end of a bloody week-long sweep. Link
Israeli tank shells landed in a residential neighbourhood north of Beit Hanoun early yesterday, killing at least 18 people, including eight children, in their sleep, according to witnesses.
Khaled Radi, a Health Ministry official, said of the 18 dead, 13 were from the same family. He said at least 40 more were wounded, all civilians.
According to witnesses, all those killed were women and children. Four hospitals were treating the wounded across Gaza.
Palestinian security officials said that five tank shells landed in the area within 15 minutes. Most the casualties were caused to a row of homes belonging to members of one family.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack. "This is a horrible, ugly massacre committed by the occupation against our children, our women and elderly in Beit Hanoun," he said.
"We urge and call the (UN) Security Council to convene immediately to stop the massacres committed against our people."
In a huge demonstration outside the morgue at the Kamal Adwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, thousands called for revenge.
"We are going to launch our rockets, our martyrs are going to sacrifice their lives in the depths of our occupied land," said Nizar Rayan, a Hamas leader in northern Gaza.
Thousands gathered outside hospitals weeping as the bodies arrived. Witnesses said that many of the dead arrived in sleeping clothes.
The shelling came after Israeli attacks in Gaza and the West Bank killed at least 15 people following a pull-out from the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun at the end of a bloody week-long sweep. Link
posted by exoplanet at 3:07 PM
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