Israel hits only power plant providing electricity to Gaza

Zee Media Bureau/Supriya Jha

US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the US has called for the case of Mohamed Abu Nie to be resolved at the earliest, and also expressed concerns at reports that the teenager might have been beaten in Israeli custody. Psaki says he`s been held since being arrested on July 3 on various charges alleging that he threw rocks, attacked police, was carrying a knife and was leading protests linked to the unrest between Israel and Hamas.

Mohamed Abu Nie, a US citizen of 15 years is in the custody of Israel since last 20 days after he was arrested for protesting and throwing rocks, etc at police in east Jerusalem, reports say.

According to an AFP report, the only power plant supplying electricity to the Gaza Strip has been knocked out of commission by Israeli shelling.

Israel maintains that many of Hamas rockets hit its own people as they fall short of their targets in Israel.

Hamas uses hospitals and ambulances for military purposes. http://t.co/ruqYd0EF1L

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 29, 2014

Meanwhile in India, violent protests were witnessed across Kashmir against the Israeli offensive in Gaza Strip that has claimed 10,87 lives in last 22 days.

Khamenei`s abrasive comments against Israel came as he was greeting the Muslims on the occasion of Eid-al-Fitr, saying, "This rabid dog, this rapacious wolf, has attacked innocent people and humanity must show a reaction. This is genocide, a catastrophe of historical scale."

Iran`s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday used the term "rabid dog" to address Israel and said that the Jewish state was committing genocide in Gaza and hence Palestine must be armed, reported the AFP.

In the last 22 days of violence, the death toll in Gaza is reported to have hit a mark of 1087 and Israeli soldiers` toll stands at 48, including the five soldiers that were killed yesterday.

Yesterday, 5 IDF soldiers were killed in combat when terrorists infiltrated Israel via a tunnel from Gaza and attempted to execute an attack

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 29, 2014

Even as the death toll continues to spike on both sides of the border, Israel vowed that the conflict may turn into a long-drawn war, ignoring repeated calls from the UN and the West to hold ceasefire. Regretting the death of five Israeli Defence Forces soldiers on Monday as a “painful”, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that he will continue the mission in Gaza until all terror tunnels of Hamas were destroyed. Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza ten days after it started Operation Protective Edge, aiming to destroy a network of underground tunnels, which Israel says, are used by the Hamas to infiltrate and plan attacks on Israelis. Ceasefire hopes seemed to shatter, PM Netanyahu warned of a “prolonged” military offensive in Gaza, saying, "We will continue to act aggressively and responsibly until the mission is completed to protect our citizens, soldiers and children”. Despite a UN request for ceasefire on the holy occasion of Eid, violence continued to surge as Palestinian death toll has shot to 10,60. Israeli forces on early Tuesday attacked the house of ex-Hamas Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh, his son, but the house was empty at the time of strike, reports said. Hamas also said that there was an attack on its TV station, Al-Aqsa TV. Israel, too lost five soldiers yesterday, the IDF posted on its twitter. Israel says that “more than 200 rockets fired from Gaza have hit its own people since July 8. Palestinian terrorists fire from civilian areas and hit their own people.”

Gaza terrorists fired rockets today, hoping to kill Israelis. Instead, they hit a hospital & a refugee camp in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/dXNhtCHTQc— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) July 28, 2014