Israel continues to target innocent civilians in Gaza

At least one dozen Palestinian civilians have been killed on Monday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip, medical sources say.

The latest total death count in Gaza stands at 531 people killed across 10 days, with more than 80 deaths since the ground offensive began on Saturday.

Troops, backed by air and naval support, are reported to have surrounded Gaza City.

While soldiers have been positioned on the north-south road at Netzarim, effectively splitting the besieged territory in two and blocking Palestinian supply lines.

Air raids were reported in open fields in east Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and in the Shati refugee camp overnight and on Monday morning .

Among the dead was a family of seven at Shati refugee camp, who were killed by navy shelling off the coast of Gaza.

Three siblings from one family, as well as a girl and her grandfather, died in Zeitoun neighbourhood during artillery shelling.

Emergency medical workers attempting to reach the wounded on the frontline, themselves become targets when an Israeli air raid killed four paramedics on Sunday. Ambulances have also been hit in the attacks, Palestinian sources said.

Witnesses in eastern Gaza told Al Jazeera that soldiers had carried out house to house raids in some urban areas.

Israeli government officials say they are not targeting civilians, only seeking to halt rocket fire from the Palestinian Hamas movement governing Gaza.

However, Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas official, said the group was heading for "victory" against the Israeli military.

He said that Hamas's armed wing, the Izz-e-din al-Qassam Brigades, had "given the most beautiful performances during its confrontation with the army that the world thought invincible".

"They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine," Zahar said.

"They have legitimised the destruction of their synagogues and their schools by hitting our mosques and our schools."

Palestinian factions have continued to launch rockets into southern Israel, despite more than a week of aerial bombardment by Israel and the ground offensive.

One Israeli soldier has been confirmed killed in the Gaza assault so far, with at least 49 others wounded. Four Israelis have also been killed by Palestinian rockets.

The International Red Cross and world leaders have appealed to both Israel and Hamas to stop targeting civilians and work to restore a ceasefire.

On the diplomatic front, a Hamas official said a delegation would head to Cairo on Monday, "answering an Egyptian invitation to hold discussions" on a ceasefire.

The talks are set to coincide with the arrival of Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, in the region, to push for a European-backed ceasefire.

The UN Security Council is also set to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis following an emergency session on Sunday that failed to produce a resolution or even a statement calling for a halt to the fighting.

Israel's ground offensive launched on Saturday followed eight days of intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip, purportedly aimed at ending cross-border rockets being fired by Hamas fighters from the territory into southern Israel.

Fears of a humanitarian crisis have also grown in recent days, as the strip, home to 1.5 million people, is already suffering shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies due to a two-year economic blockade imposed by Israel.

The International Committee for the Red Cross said on Sunday its medical emergency team had been prevented for a third day from entering the territory.

Egypt has also completely closed the Rafah crossing, cutting off aid supplies to the territory.

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[basit124]

fuck israel, i wish tmrw when i wake up there be no israel on this planet.

Amen.

[Maxwedge12000]

You are correct, this did happen and is being investigated by the Isreali parliament. Some members of the government admitted it happened in the 1990s and the accusation is it is still going on.

[mouthyweasel]

Arabs strategically/cravenly hide their weapon stashes in civilian areas. Israel is has no agenda of expansionism, or holy war. They just want their right to exist. Stop attacking them and the wars are over.... but no. You Islamic 7th century madmen are brainwashed and admonished by your imaginary god to kill and conquer. Islam has contributed nothing of value to humanity in more than 1000 years. So fuck off and die, you ignorant pigs.

[GamerMaple]

@basit124

i wish you will die.

Amen.

[GamerMaple]

if israel target innocent palestines,then why only 400 innocent peopel died?

it could be 1million,why only 400 inncoent peopel?

How happen hamas stopped fire rockets?

[PunkFreak331]

let Iran bomb israel and we all will be happy I can promise you all

[callouschristian]

@namrur2 More stupid than a people who illegally occupy a country then expect people to back them just because they are jewish? More stupid than a people who kill innocents then expect other people to die for their reprehensible actions in illegal wars? You sound not only stupid but audaciously so!

[callouschristian]

@BigSamBoy1 You are nasty and contribute nothing worthwhile to anything

[callouschristian]

@DukePingu What have they gained from it when they've done it the past sixty years?? It's called "terrorism" and that is what Israel and it's supporters are about.

[callouschristian]

murdered Children!! God's Chosen People MY ASS@!

[DukePingu]

This is such bullshit Hamas hide their weapons in residential areas. They are not targeting innocent civilians what would they gain from that?

[slanker786]

!لا استسلام ، لا استسلام!