GAZA: Palestinian bury eight after continued Israeli air strikes in Gaza

Thousands of Gazans took to the streets of the southern town of Rafah on Thursday (August 3) to march in funeral processions for eight Palestinians killed in overnight and early morning Israeli air strikes. The air strikes killed five Palestinian gunmen and two civilians, including a 10-year-old boy, as Israeli forces pushed deeper into a militant stronghold, Palestinian witnesses said, Another civilian was killed by gunfire. At least 25 Palestinians were wounded, witnesses said. At least one of the dead gunmen was from the armed wing of the governing Hamas Islamist group. Another was from Islamic Jihad, which is also dedicated to destroying the Jewish state. Israeli troops carried out house-to-house searches in the Rafah area, close to where militants tunnelled into Israel on June 25 and seized a soldier, prompting Israel's offensive into the territory. Palestinian militants with guns and anti-tank rockets confronted at least 50 Israeli armoured vehicles as they pushed into Rafah. At least 162 Palestinians have been killed in efforts to recover the soldier and end cross-border rocket fire. More than half the dead are civilians. Israel's offensive has increased pressure on Hamas, which had been under a Western aid embargo to try to force it to recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept peace deals. Israel has rejected demands by the armed wing of Hamas and the other groups that captured Corporal Gilad Shalit to exchange him for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces left Gaza almost a year ago after 38 years of occupation.

ITN Source | August 3, 2006

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