Gaza rampage claims more Palestinian lives

Hamas officials said he was Hassan Shakfi, 24, a member of the Palestinian resistance group.

Rescue workers said another Hamas fighter was seriously wounded.

The Israeli military said soldiers spotted an armed Palestinian and targeted him.

Around the same time, an Israeli attack helicopter fired a missile in the Rafah refugee camp at the other end of the Gaza Strip, along the Egyptian border. No one was hurt. About 20 tanks were seen massing at the edge of the camp.

The missile strike followed one earlier in the day which killed another Hamas member and wounded three others.

Palestinian medics said Muhammad Marus was killed when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile into a house in Bait Lahya in northern Gaza.

Also on Wednesday a Palestinian teenager was shot dead and two others wounded by Israeli army gunfire in the Rafah refugee camp of southern Gaza, Palestinian medical sources said.

Jihad Barhoum, 16, died late on Wednesday after being hit by a bullet which passed through his chest and came out of his back.

Toll rising

Another Palestinian wounded by Israeli tank fire in the Gaza Strip on Sunday died of his injuries on Wednesday, hospital sources said.

Jihad Musa, 37, had been seriously wounded by shrapnel in the Jabaliya refugee camp.

His death raised to 119 the total number of Palestinians killed in Gaza since the massive attack launched two weeks ago by Israel under the pretext of stopping Palestinian resistance fighters launching rockets into Israeli towns and settlements.

Many of the dead and injured are civilians.

Thousands of mourners took part in the funeral of a Palestinian schoolgirl who died today after she was hit by Israeli gunfire as she sat inside a United Nations school in Gaza.

Ghadir Mukhaimar, 10, succumbed to wounds received Tuesday and was buried in the town of Khan Yunis.

Related incidents

In the West Bank, senior Hamas official Imad al-Qawasma was arrested in the city of Hebron, Palestinian sources said.

Tel Aviv accused him of carrying out operations against Israel.

In Jalbun village, east of Jenin, Israeli occupation forces demolished the house of Iyad Muhammed Abu al-Rab, leader of Islamic Jihad's military wing, al-Quds Brigades.

Abu al-Rab has been pursued by Israel for more than a year, Aljazeera's correspondent in Palestine said.

Israeli forces arrested five citizens, including four of his brothers, the correspondent added.

Aljazeera + Agencies
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