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Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza smuggling tunnels
 (AKI) - Israeli warplanes early Wednesday bombed a suspected Hamas post in the southern Gaza Strip and struck seven smuggling tunnels on the coastal territory's border with Egypt. Targets included the tunnels and a security compound of the ruling Islamist Hamas movement in Khan Younis.While the missiles did not cause any direct deaths, medical sources told the Palestinian news agency, Maan, that an elderly woman died after suffering a heart attack when the building next to her home exploded during a missile strike. The Israeli Air Force launched its attacks in a response to the firing of a mortar round by Palestinian militants into Israel on Tuesday evening. There has been sporadic rocket fire and several Israeli raids since unilateral ceasefires ended a 22-day assault by Israel on the Gaza Strip in January. More than 1,330 Palestinians died in Israel's military offensive, Operation Cast Lead, and another 5,400 were injured. Thirteen Israelis were killed in the conflict. Meanwhile, for the third consecutive day Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank town of Jayyus near Qalqiliya early Wednesday and detained 20 Palestinian men for questioning. Despite the sporadic violence and continuing arrests, Egyptian mediators are negotiating talks between Israel and Hamas in a bid for an extended ceasefire, the opening of Gaza's border crossings and a possible prisoner exchange. On Tuesday, Israel's prime minister Ehud Olmert said that the blockade would only be lifted if Gilad Shalit , the Israeli soldier captured by Gaza militants in 2006, was released in the exchange. Posted by: Fred 2009-02-19 |
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