Israeli aggression on Gaza kills 23 Palestinians Wednesday including three children

July 26, 2006

Gaza- Ma'an- As a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, eighteen Palestinians lost their lives on Wednesday, of which four were children.

The Palestinian death toll rose yet again on Wednesday evening when Israeli artillery bombarded the east of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, killing two young sisters.

Eight-year-old Mariya, and five-month-old Shahd 'Ukal were killed in the bombardment, while their mother and various other family members were injured.

On Wednesday afternoon, an Israeli reconnaissance plane killed Mahmoud Al Barsh with a deadly rocket fired at Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day, Israeli shelling of the At Tuffah neighborhood in east Gaza City killed Hani Hijlah, a Palestinian man in his 20s. At least 65 were reported to have been injured, with at least five of them suffering from critical injuries.

The Israeli forces also bombed a group of resistance fighters in the Abu Safiyya area, east of Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, allegedly killing one member of the Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades.

Israeli tanks also targeted a crowd of Palestinian civilians in the Ash Shuja'iyya district in eastern Gaza City. Medical sources said that three of the victims were from one single family. Two remained anonymous and the third was named as 18-year-old Salih Hassanein.

In addition, Israeli tanks killed a three-year-old girl, Su'ad Nasir Habib, and Muhammad Salah Al Bahiti, 22.

In the morning, an activist from the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al Quds Brigades, Yaser Banat, was killed when a reconnaissance plane fired a rocket at him that destroyed his car as it traveled along Salah Addin Street in the southern Gaza Strip.

A member of the Palestinian ministry of interior's Executive Force, Muhammad Adas, was also killed and five others injured after the Israeli forces shelled the forces' headquarters in the north of Gaza.

The residential tower block of "An Nada Towers" was also bombed on Wednesday afternoon; one Palestinian sustained a head injury. The residential tower block has been targeted several times this week.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, Khlid Radi reported to Ma'an that the dead are: Mariya, Shahd 'Ukal, Sabah Hasanin, 3, Majid Al-Husaini, 23, Muhammad Haniyya, Husam, Salam and Yahya As-Sa'udi, Yasir Banat, Salih Hasanin, Muhammad Adas, Muhammad Al-Bahtini, Nabil Zeno, Hani Hjaila, Nafith Hannona, Mahmoud Al-Barsh, Muhammad Habib and another one who remained unknown

9:30 pm, a Ma'an correspondent reported recently that 5 Palestinians died in Gaza in the last hour. Those who were known are: Adnan As-Saudi, 18, who died of his wounds from the morning and Ziad Salem, 50, the identities of the other three are not known. The death toll rises to 23.