Gaza City, Mar 17: Five Palestinians, including a baby aged less than two years and a 13-year-old boy, were killed in an Israeli raid into a Gaza refugee camp early today, Palestinian security and hospital sources said. The baby was identified as Hannan el Assar, who was killed by a bullet wound to the head, medics said. The fifth person was crushed under the rubble of a house dynamited by the army as it raided the Nusseirat refugee camp, just south of Gaza City.
It was feared more dead could be under the rubble of the el Saatin family house, security officials said, without naming the person killed.
The overnight raid also cost the lives of three other Palestinians, while 12 were wounded.
The dead were named as Fadi Darwish, 13, who was at home, Ibrahim Osmani, 22, and Omar Youssef, 17.
Some 30 armoured vehicles with bulldozers and infantry forces made their way several hundred metres into the camp from Netzarim Jewish settlement, three kilometres north of Nusseirat.
The Israeli units backed up by helicopter gunships met with stiff resistance from Palestinian fighters in the camp.
Twelve other Palestinians were wounded during the incursion, three of whom were in very serious condition after being shot in the head.
The latest deaths bring to 3,094 the number of people killed since the Intifada or uprising started in late September 2000, including 2,319 Palestinians and 717 Israelis. Bureau Report