Six Mortars Hit Israeli Settlement in Gaza Strip
Six mortar bombs exploded in a Jewish settlement in the south of the Gaza Strip early Wednesday, several hours after a deadly helicopter raid on a Palestinian security building, Israeli public radio reported.
The mortar bombs damaged a home and destroyed a car in a settlement in the Gush Katif area, but did not cause any casualties, the radio reported.
Four Palestinian civilians were killed Tuesday and at least 17 wounded when Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a security building in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
Three of the dead were identified as Said Abu Setta, 40, Yasser Hassan Abu Namus, 26 and Ibrahim al-Assar, 20. A fourth civilian died of his wounds under hospital care.
Hospital officials had earlier described two of the 17 injured Palestinians -- which included both police and civilians -- as being in a critical condition.
Late on Tuesday two Israeli gunships hovering over the Palestinian Authority's national security building fired three rockets at the site, causing severe damage to the building and several others in the vicinity.
A half-hour later the helicopters returned and fired two more rockets at the building, which in located in a residential part of the self-rule city in southern Gaza.
Witnesses said the second raid hit an adjacent refugee camp, and said there were a large number of victims because the attack coincided with the end of evening prayers.
They said the Palestinian security forces had quickly eveacuated the area when they heard the sound of approaching Apache helicopters.
An Israeli army source said the military had detected "terrorists" in the area.
"An army force identified a group of terrorists which opened fire at an army outpost in the center of Gush Katif settlement bloc. Helicopter forces returned fire and identified a hit," the source said.
The army also claimed that the "rockets were not fired at buildings."
In a statement, the Palestinian Authority deplored what it said was the "silence" of the international community over continued Israeli raids.
"Israel continues to pursue its aggression even though the Palestinians are respecting a ceasefire," the Palestinian leadership said in a statement carried by the official WAFA agency.
"We ask ourselves if the Palestinian people will still accept seeing their children die while the international community stays silent in the face of Israeli aggression."
The four deaths bring the overall death toll from the Intifada, which began in September 2000, to 1,071 -- including 825 Palestinians and 223 Israelis.
Meanwhile late Tuesday, Israeli tanks made an incursion into the area, approaching to within 500 metres of the Khan Younis cemetery and opening fire on several buildings, witnesses and Palestinian security sources said.
The area is situated close to Israeli settlements.
The attacks followed a call for calm by US envoy Anthony Zinni during a joint security meeting between the sides on Tuesday.
Zinni asked Israel to refrain from attacking Palestinian targets for another 48 hours to give the Palestinians a chance to crack down on extremist groups, Israeli security sources said.
However, a statement issued by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office followed saying: "Israel with reply to every mortar bomb fired and every other act of terror.
"Israel with continue to act responsibly in order to avoid further escalation in the situation," it said.
Six mortars hit Israeli settlement in Gaza Strip -- AFP
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