GAZA : Unrest prevails in Gaza as thousands mourn death of 4-year-old killed by Israeli forces.

Record ID: 872573

  • Title: GAZA : Unrest prevails in Gaza as thousands mourn death of 4-year-old killed by Israeli forces.
  • Date: 12th April 2006
  • Summary: (W3) RAFAH, SOUTHERN GAZA (APRIL 11, 2006) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FATAH SECURITY OFFICIALS TAKING OVER CONTROL OF BORDER IN MILITARY VEHICLES
  • Embargoed: 27th April 2006 13:00
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  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA9FOM8DO0PR3NC94A4I7BUPH2O
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  • Story Text: Thousands of Palestinians marched on Tuesday (April 11) in the funeral for four-year-old Hadeel Ghabeen who was killed by Israeli forces on Monday (April 10).
    An Israeli shell killed the young Palestinian girl and injured 12 others, including five children, when it hit a house in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.
    An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed that artillery shells had been fired at the area of Beit Lahiya in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, from where three makeshift rockets had been fired at Israel on Monday.
    Five of the 12 wounded were children, Gaza hospital officials said.
    Meanwhile Special forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas assumed security control of the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt on Tuesday (April 11) in a move certain to heighten tensions with the Islamic militant group Hamas.
    Abbas had been under international and Israeli pressure to take control of the Palestinian-run border away from the Hamas-led interior ministry after the Islamic militant group's crushing electoral win against the long-dominant Fatah party.
    The move could help quell concerns that Hamas may exploit its role in controlling forces at the border to smuggle in weapons that could ultimately be used against the Jewish state.
    About 150 black-clad presidential guards, armed with assault rifles and loyal to Abbas, rolled into Rafah in a 25-vehicle convoy and took over operations from security forces employed by the interior ministry.
    European Union monitors, stationed at the Rafah border under a U.S.-brokered deal to assuage Israeli fears that foreign fighters and weapons could reach Gaza, welcomed the move.
    Citing security concerns and threats of attacks, Israel has repeatedly closed the Karni commercial crossing into Gaza -- a lifeline for Palestinians in the impoverished strip from which Israel withdrew last year after 38 years of occupation.
    The continued closure of Karni has further aggravated an escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warns needs to be addressed immediately.
    "xxxx," UNWRA Director John Ging said.
    Meanwhile Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets from Gaza towards Israel posing further security concerns for Israel.
    Israel continues to control major crossings in the West Bank, which Israel captured along with Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war.

    ENDS
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