Breaking News: Israel F-16 Attacks On Gaza
Breaking News: Israel F-16 Attacks On Gaza
News In Brief – By Julie Webb Pullman, in Gaza.
A missile was fired from an Israeli F-16 aircraft into Gaza City 25 minutes ago. Ambulances have rushed to the site. Rafah City was attacked some eight minutes later.
Four Palestinians have been wounded in the attack, including two children as a result of Israeli shelling of Gaza City tonight.
Update Saturday July 16:
There have been more Israeli airstrikes on Gaza this morning - there is a widespread fear that Israel is launching another major assault on Gaza, based on fictions that there have been rocket attacks launched from Gaza in recent days.
Locals deny there have been any rockets or shells launched from Gaza.
The people of Gaza are calling on the international community to act quickly to prevent another massacre like Operation Cast Lead, in which Israel also used the excuse of self-defense against rocket attacks to justify a grossly disproportionate attack on the citizens of Gaza, killing over 1,000.
The people of Gaza do not believe rockets have been launched from Gaza, or that the Israeli attacks are in any way justified.
Planes and explosions can be heard.
Adham Abu Simia, a Gazan medical spokesperson, earlier confirmed that four people were injured in the attacks, two of them children. He said there have not been further injuries this morning, but there is a fear of further attacks. Medical services are on full alert.
Ma'an news agency reports that there have been projectiles fired into Israel in the past three days, and attributed Thursday's attack to a previously-unknown group, "Sarayah Palestine" who issued a statement saying they fired the homemade projectile at 7am on Thursday in response to Israeli aggression and threats against the Palestinian people.
In addition to the four injured in Gaza City who were taken to Al Shifa hospital, another two injuries were reported in the south of Gaza, and taken to Al Aqsa hospital.
Update Sunday July 17:
The bottom lines are:
Six injured, two were children.
Homemade projectiles were fired into Israel 7am Thursday by a previously-unknown group, "Sarayah Palestine" who issued a statement saying they fired the homemade projectile in response to Israeli aggression and threats against the Palestinian people.
Israel has admitted the strikes but made no other comment.
The people of gaza are very afraid that the attack on the fishermen and the air strikes of the last three days signal another major Israeli attack against the strip, and call on the international community to intercede now to prevent it.
I have just been told a full-on assault is unlikely, that it is just the usual response to rockets being fired into Israeli territory. Hope they're right!