Region | Palestinian Territories

Israel invades Gaza

An Israeli assault on Gaza kills at least 20 Palestinian civilians and militants, 11 of whom died in a single attack in the northern town of Beit Lahiya as Israel continues to infiltrate the territory.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 00:00 July 7, 2006
  • Gulf News

Gaza City: At least 20 Palestinian civilians and militants were killed in an Israeli assault on Gaza on Thursday, 11 of whom died in a single attack in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, local medics said.

The death toll was the highest since Israel unleashed an offensive aimed at securing the release of a soldier captured by Palestinian militants in an attack on an army post on the Israel-Gaza border on June 25.

However, medics said 12 Palestinians were killed in the operations. The Israeli army said one soldier was also killed.

Palestinian Interior Minister Said Siyyam of the ruling Hamas party, issued the Palestinian government's first call to arms since Israel's invasion.

Siyyam appealed to all security forces to fulfil their "religious and moral duty to stand up to this aggression and cowardly Zionist invasion."

The United Nations' top human rights body agreed yesterday to send a fact-finding mission to the Palestinian territories to probe alleged rights violations by Israel.

The 47-state Human Rights Council adopted a resolution, put forward by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, which also demanded a halt to Israel's "extensive military operations" against Palestinians.

The council deplored Israel's operations as breaching international humanitarian law.

But it was not clear whether Israel would break with tradition and allow in the rights investigators, diplomats said.

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