GAZA: One Palestinian is killed in Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip, as Hamas continue to launch rockets towards Israeli towns

Record ID: 352703

  • Title: GAZA: One Palestinian is killed in Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip, as Hamas continue to launch rockets towards Israeli towns
  • Date: 19th January 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PEOPLE MOURNING GIRL CRYING VARIOUS OF DESTROYED BUILDING AND RUBBLE CLOSE OF BOOKLET READING 'PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY MINISTRY OF INTERIOR CIVIL DEFENCE DIRECTORATE' DESTROYED MINISTRY OF INTERIOR MAN HOLDING INJURED CHILD AND ENTERING AMBULANCE AMBULANCE ARRIVING AT HOSPITAL, MAN WITH ANOTHER CHILD ENTERING EMERGENCY ROOM VARIOUS OF RELATIVES BRINGING INJURED TO
  • Embargoed: 3rd February 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA6RKC0FPN8RME9NVIXKLQLJLL
  • Story Text: Israel bombed the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza and closed border crossings with the strip on Friday (January 18), sharply escalating what it called a campaign to halt Palestinian rocket attacks.
    The four-storey ministry complex in Gaza City was empty at the time but one woman was killed and at least 30 others nearby were wounded in the air strike, medical officials said.
    It was the first Israeli bombing of a Palestinian government building since Hamas Islamists took over Gaza in June after routing secular Fatah forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas.
    Israel has killed at least 33 Palestinians in Gaza this week as part of what officials describe as a stepped-up campaign to pressure Hamas to rein-in militants who have fired more than 110 rockets into the Jewish state in the last three days alone. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the air strikes, calling the targets "Hamas terrorist" positions. "This is part of our response to Qassam (rocket) fire against Israel," the spokeswoman said. The Interior Ministry oversees Hamas-controlled government forces in Gaza, but not the group's armed wing. The armed wing claimed responsibility for most rocket salvoes since Tuesday, when Israel killed 18 Palestinians, mostly Hamas militants.
    An Israeli air strike flattened the previous Hamas-run Interior Ministry building during a bombing campaign that followed the abduction of an Israeli soldier by militants in June 2006.
    Hamas's armed wing, Izz el Din el Qassam brigades, distributed a video on Friday (January 18) showing the launching of Qassam rockets towards Israel's southern towns. The video shows several rockets being launched, and firing near Israeli army jeeps behind the border fence.
    A second Israeli air strike on Friday damaged Hamas's so-called naval headquarters in the central Gaza Strip, no one was injured in this attack.
    The violence has prompted the Palestinians to caution that peace talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, spurred by a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, were in jeopardy.
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