Israeli War Crimes Continue in Gaza: 4 Palestinians killed and 10 injured

The Israeli army has re-entered the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip to prevent new rocket attacks into Israel and to search for a captured soldier.

Three armed members of Hamas were killed as Israeli tanks, armoured vehicles and bulldozers entered the Palestinian town of Beit Hanun before dawn on Sunday.

Israel has repeatedly raided Gaza since the capture of one of its soldiers, Corporal Gilad Shalit, on June 28.

Gunfire and shelling also killed a 75-year-old woman and wounded 10 others, including a baby.

Israel carried out further air strikes overnight against armed Palestinians and destroyed a Hamas operations room in the Jabaliya refugee camp, an Israeli army spokeswoman said.

Israel's campaign to free its free captured soldier has so far left 82 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead.

Hamas, like the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is holding two Israeli soldiers, demands the release of prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for freeing the captive serviceman.

Hamas is the ruling party in the Palestinian territories but it also advocates the destruction of Israel, which it frequently attacks with home-made rockets.

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GAZA CITY, 17 July 2006 — Three Palestinians were killed as Israeli troops re-entered Gaza in its ongoing offensive against Palestinians who captured an Israeli soldier three weeks ago and exchanged gunfire with Palestinians.

Israeli forces moved into Beit Hanoun early yesterday, firing missiles and tank shells in and around the northern Gaza town, which has been used as a staging ground for rocket attacks on the nearby southern Israeli city of Sderot. Israeli airstrikes in Beit Hanoun throughout the night killed three Hamas fighters and wounded 11 people, including a child, hospital officials said. Ambulances were unable to reach the scene of one missile strike aimed at fighters.

Palestinians exchanged fire with Israeli forces, and Hamas men said they set off land mines and bombs against Israeli bulldozers and tanks in the area. The Israeli Army said its forces attacked Palestinians and fired a missile at a Hamas office in northern Gaza.

Two journalists — a Palestinian and a Japanese — were injured in the attack, Mohammed Bassiouni, director of Beit Hanoun hospital said. He added that the two were being treated at the hospital.

Israel started its Gaza offensive on June28 , three days after Hamas-backed fighters tunneled under the border and attacked an Israeli Army post, killing two soldiers and capturing Cpl. Gilad Shalit.

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