JERUSALEM – At least four Palestinians have lost their lives and nearly 120others sustained critical injuries when Israeli military aircraft andbattle tanks hit targets throughout the Gaza Strip as the Tel Aviv regimepresses ahead with its acts of aggression against the besieged coastalsliver.
Two Palestinians were Martyred on Friday evening after Israeli artilleryunits fired two shells reportedly at an observation post belonging toEzzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas resistancemovement, east of the city of Khan Yunis, located about 25 kilometers southof Gaza City, Arabic-language Ma’an news agency reported.
The deceased Gazans were later identified as Mohammed Abu Farhana andShaaban Abu Khater.
A third Palestinian was killed after Israeli jets carried out airstrikeseast of the border town of Rafah. He was identified as Mahmoud Qeshta.
According to Palestinian medical sources, another Palestinian, identifiedas Mohammed Sharif Badwan, was killed in the Zeitoun district of Gaza.
Separately, two Palestinians were wounded when Israeli forces opened fireat Palestinian houses east of Abasan city. A 14-year-old Palestinian boywas also shot and is now in critical condition.
Israeli artillery units also fired shells at observation posts nearal-Awda refugee camp in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip as well asBureij refugee camp in the central sector of the sliver.
Meanwhile, Israeli media outlets assert that an Israeli soldier sustainedserious wounds after being targeted by a Palestinian sniper in the southernpart of the Gaza Strip.
Hebrew-language Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israelitrooper was injured after Palestinian resistance fighters and Israelimilitary forces engaged in an exchange of gunfire.
Shortly after the Israeli attacks, the UN envoy for the Middle East peaceprocess, Nickolay Mladenov, called on both sides to “step back from thebrink” of war.
“Everyone in Gaza needs to step back from the brink. Not next week. Nottomorrow. Right NOW”, he tweeted, adding, “Those who want to provokePalestinians and Israelis into another war must not succeed.”
In another development, Israel’s minister for military affairs AvigdorLieberman warned Hamas of a “much tougher” response if the resistance groupfired more rockets from Gaza.
“If Hamas continues to fire rockets, then Israel will respond in a muchtougher way than they (the Hamas leadership) think,” he said.
The Israeli military had earlier claimed that it had intercepted two ofthree rocket launches from Gaza.
Lieberman’s rhetoric, however, was not left unanswered by Hamas, whichwarned the regime of consequences if it continued attacks on Palestinianprotesters.
Nearly 150 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces ever since the“Great March of Return” began in the Gaza Strip on March 30.
A total of 14,811 Palestinians have also sustained injuries of whom 366 arereportedly in critical condition.
The Gaza clashes reached their peak on May 14, on the eve of the 70thanniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe), which coincided this yearwith the US embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to occupied East Jerusalemal-Quds.
On June 13, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution,sponsored by Turkey and Algeria, condemning Israel for Palestinian civiliandeaths in the Gaza Strip.
The resolution, which had been put forward on behalf of Arab and Muslimcountries, garnered a strong majority of 120 votes in the 193-memberassembly, with 8 votes against and 45 abstentions.
The resolution calls on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to makeproposals within 60 days “on ways and means for ensuring the safety,protection, and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population underIsraeli occupation,” including “recommendations regarding an internationalprotection mechanism.”
It also calls for “immediate steps towards ending the closure and therestrictions imposed by Israel on movement and access into and out of theGaza Strip. – Agencies