Special report: Palestine-Israel Conflicts




GAZA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army continued the air and ground strikes on different targets in Gaza Strip for 15 successive days, leaving 15 people killed and 20 others injured, medics said Saturday.

Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein said that eight were killed on Saturday afternoon, seven of them belong to the same family, in an Israeli tanks shelling on their house east of Jabalia town in northern Gaza.
Bombs blast above northern Gaza Strip on Jan. 9, 2009.(Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
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He added that seven more people were killed in a series of air and ground strikes on houses all over the Gaza Strip during Saturday, adding that 15 were altogether killed since midnight.
Islamic Jihad movement said in a statement that one of its militants was killed in western Gaza City refugee camp of Shatti (Beach) after targeting his house in the refugee camp, no more casualties was reported.

Video: Gaza attacks continue dispite UN resolution
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Witnesses said that Israeli drones, F-16 warplanes and Apache helicopters kept hovering over the enclave, and struck nine houses, while naval vessels and tanks kept firing at different targets in Gaza.
Hassanein said that 815 Palestinians were killed and more than 3,300 were injured since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Dec. 27, adding that the number of casualties is expected to rise.




Abbas says Israel must accept Egyptian plan on Gaza truce

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds a press conference after his meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Presidential House in Cairo, capital of Egypt, Jan. 10, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)
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CAIRO, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday Israel must accept an Egyptian plan to put an end to the conflict in the Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.

Abbas made his call at a press conference following talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday morning, saying Israel must accept the Egyptian proposal or "face the responsibility over the conflict." Full story

Israel declares to continue Gaza operation despite UN cease-fire resolution

JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- A day after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved a resolution calling for cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Israel declared on Friday in a defiant gesture that its defense forces IDF will continue its operation in the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave.

After Arab and Western foreign ministers agreed on an amended version of a Britain-drafted resolution on Thursday, the UNSC adopted the Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza "leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces." It was approved by 14 votes in favor while the United States abstained.

Abbas arrives in Egypt for talks with Mubarak on Gaza crisis

CAIRO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived here on Friday night for talks on the current crisis of the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.
Abbas was expected to have talks with President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday morning on an Egyptian initiative on Gaza ceasefire and means of ending the Israeli attacks, which has killed 801 Palestinians and wounded 3,300 others.

UN relief agency decides to resume humanitarian aid activities in Gaza

GAZA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations for Relief and Work Agency in the Far East (UNRWA) decided Friday to resume providing humanitarian services to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after receiving guarantees from Israel that it won't be targeted.

The UNRWA, which provides humanitarian aid to 80 percent of the strip population, said in a statement that the decision was made after Israel promised that its institutions, mainly schools and cars, won't be targeted.

Death toll rises to 801 as more people killed by fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza

GAZA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes and tanks shells continued on Gaza on Friday night, killing nine more people, which rose the death toll to 801 since the beginning of the Israeli military offensive on Dec. 27, a senior Gaza official said.
Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein released the figures to reporters, saying that now 801 Palestinians were killed and 3300 were injured.