Israeli troops on Wednesday continued their raid on the southern Gaza town of Rafah, killing at least 14 Palestinians and wounding scores of others.
In what was described by WAFA as a "criminal massacre" at least 10 Palestinians were killed when an Israeli helicopter fired a missile into a crowd in the Rafah refugee camp.
The air strike hit a peaceful protest march heading toward the neighborhood of the camp besieged by occupation forces. At least 60 people, including many women and children, were wounded in the incident, witnesses said. Some 3,000 people were participating in the demonstration.
"We cannot handle the situation, no hospital in the world can handle the situation," Dr. Moawiya Hassanain, the chief hospital spokesman in Rafah, said. "I got instruction from President Arafat to mobilize all our teams to Rafah immediately and declare a state of emergency all over Gaza Strip hospitals."
In another incident, Mohammed Abu Nasser died of wounds he sustained. According to WAFA, witnesses said that Abu Nasser was shot dead when Israeli troops demanded the Palestinians to get out and gather in a local school.
Palestinian sources said Israeli troops ordered all males 16 or older in the Rafah suburb of Tel Sultan to gather in a local school, and Palestinians in the area were instructed to surrender themselves with a white flag.
The medical sources at al-Najaar Hospital reported that a boy, identified as Saber Abu Libda 13, was killed. Abu Libda’s two brothers were critically wounded.
Meanwhile, another Palestinian was killed as Israeli forces raided houses in the neighbourhood. They added that Shady al-Mughary 24, was killed as being shot with a direct live bullet in the heart. Another Palestinian, identified as Khalil Abu Saadeh was shot in Tel Sultan while he was walking to the school based on orders from occupation troops.
At least 20 Palestinians were killed Tuesday during the first day of the raid. Three children, including a 13-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister, were reportedly among the dead.
On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces destroyed the Rafah home of Palestinian activist, who killed five settlers in Gaza Strip earlier this month.
Later, Israeli soldiers conducted house-to-house searches for Palestinian fighters in the Tel Sultan neighborhood.
In an urgent meeting in Ramallah, the Palestinian leadership called Tuesday night on a firm Arab and international stance towards the Israeli "criminal devastation" in Rafah and its refugee camps, calling for issuing a UN resolution that provides international protection for the Palestinian people.
In its statement issued, the Palestinians called on the US Administration to uncover its "political support" that allows the Israeli government to continue its crimes and aggressions against Palestinian cities, villages and Christian and Muslim shrines.
It appealed to the UN Security Council to issue a resolution that allows the international body exercise "genuine procedures" to protect the Palestinian people from the Israeli crimes.
Meanwhile, Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in fighting in the West Bank overnight, Palestinian medics said on Wednesday.
Both Palestinians were from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. One was killed in fighting in the West Bank city in Nablus and the other in an exchange in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, medics said. WAFA confirmed that Mohammed Hussein Turkeman, 22, was shot dead in Jenin. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
