 (dpa) - Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip on Saturday boosted the death toll to at least 44 by Palestinian accounts since the start of IsraelÂ’s large-scale ground operation. More than 150 others have been wounded, according to Palestinian health officials Saturday. In the latest incidents, a 12 year-old girl and 17-year-old boy were killed Saturday night by Israeli gunfire in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, medics said.
| I don't think the Paleos have any sympathy left in that area for another week or two, after the Ladies' Rescue Brigade incident. It'll take a while for that to fade from the international community's attention span. |
Two Islamic Hamas members were also killed Saturday afternoon after an Israeli aircraft struck a group of militants with a missile east of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, medical sources said. Palestinian eyewitnesses said that an Israeli army drone fired a missile at two Islamic Hamas militants east of the refugee camp while they were trying to launch a homemade rocket from northern Gaza Strip at Israel. Medics said that the two men, brothers aged 25 and 23, were dead on arrival at Kamal Odwan Hospital near Jabalia. No further injuries were reported.
| That's too bad, though I suppose to be fair no further injuries were required. |
In the central Gaza Strip, another group of Islamic Jihad militants escaped unharmed after an Israeli aircraft targeted their car, said eyewitnesses. The group managed to jump to safety before the rocket struck the car.
"Mahmoud! The American-made Apache helicopter has launched a missile!"
"Where was the missile made, Ahmed?"
"I don't know! Jump!" |
Earlier Saturday, Moaweya Hassanein of the Palestinian Ministry of Health told reporters that he expected the number of casualties to mount as the Israeli army operation continues. “The Israeli army is using all kinds of weapons and ammunition against the Palestinians,” said Hassanein, adding that the Israeli army killed “women, children, paramedics and ambulance drivers.”
| "They fire missiles from their American-made Apache helicopters with wild abandon! With my own eyes I have seen the pathetic, crushed bodies of the women, the children, the paramedics, the ambulance drivers, the puppies, the kittens, the baby ducks! Even fluffy bunnies are not safe from their lust for blood!" |
However, an Israeli army spokesman said that most of those killed were militants and had been involved in launching homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel. Israeli army operations continued in the northern Gaza Strip for the fourth consecutive day, mainly in the town of Beit Hanoun.
"We're from DPA! We know you're lying! We're not taking your statements at face value!"
"Avner! Stomp his ducky!"
"[QUACK!]" |
Palestinian medics at al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip said one Palestinian was killed on Saturday morning by Israeli aircraft strikes, and rescue teams found the body of another Palestinian, who was killed two days ago.
| "Mustafa! Send out a rescue team! I haven't seen Mahmoud for a couple days now!" |
Dozens of Israeli army tanks, bulldozers and armoured vehicles stormed the town on Wednesday, completely seizing it. A curfew was imposed on the town, and Israeli soldiers are conducting house- to- house searches.
[KNOCK KNOCK!]
"Who's there?"
"It's the Zionists! Open up!"
"You shall not enter my house, built on sacred land, infidels!"
"Avner! Stomp the duck!"
[QUACK!]
"Open up or the fluffy bunny gets it!" |
In northern Gaza City Saturday morning, a senior Islamic Hamas movement militant was killed in his car in an Israeli airstrike, eyewitnesses said. Eyewitnesses said that Louai al-Bourno, 32, was killed immediately when his car was directly hit by a missile.
| "Aaaaiiiieee! It is a missile! It was made in... made in... [KABOOM!]" |
The ruling Islamic group Hamas said it mourned al-Bourno, who was a commander in al-Qassam Brigades, the movementÂ’s armed wing, and an expert in manufacturing homemade rockets.
"Yeah, buddy. Things just ain't gonna be the same without old al-Bourno around!"
"There, there, Your Immensity! Don't take it so hard!" |
The Israeli army said the aim of the operation into the northern Gaza Strip was to rein in Palestinian militants and prevent them from launching homemade rockets at Israel. Several Palestinian militant groups said they will not stop launching rockets at Israel, and vowed to carry out more revenge attacks.
| "Yar! Y'll never stop us from launching rockets in yer general direction, Zionists!" |
| Okay, how's about we stand right here near your buddies then. |
In the West Bank, an Israeli army force killed Saturday morning the commander of Islamic Jihad armed wing in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses reported.
[KNOCK KNOCK!]
"Who's there?"
"It the Zionists! Open up!"
"Youse'll never take me alive, infidels!"
"Hokay. [KABOOM!]" |
Meanwhile, negotiations to swap Cpl. Gilad Shalit for Palestinian prisoners are threatened because Israel insists on selecting the prisoners it would release if the deal is achieved, local Palestinian media reported. The Maan news agency quoted an unidentified source as saying Israel is sticking to a condition that it can select the Palestinian prisoners to be released, while the captors of the Israeli soldier are demanding the same right. According to the source, the negotiations sponsored by Egypt were still in the early phases and were unlikely to be concluded soon. The Palestinian minister of foreign affairs in the Hamas-led government, Mahmoud al-Zahar, warned in a statement that the continuation of Israeli attacks on northern Gaza Strip, “would endanger the life of the captive soldier Gilad Shalit.” |