Rafah (Gaza Strip), May 20: Israeli troops killed seven Palestinians in this refugee camp today, pushing on with their offensive despite an international outcry over the deaths of protesters by Israeli tank fire.
At least eight Palestinians, many of them children, were killed by Israeli fire yesterday as they demonstrated against the military operation. Adding to world anger were the sight
of bloodied children and reports of overwhelmed doctors treating dozens of wounded on blood-drenched hospital floors.
Israel apologized for the deaths, saying its troops did not deliberately fire on marchers. It also blamed the Palestinians for allowing gunmen to mix with the civilian crowd. Palestinians denounced the incident as a massacre.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the loss of life and Israel's demolition of homes. The United States abstained, the first time in nearly two years that it didn't exercise its veto on a resolution sharply critical of Israel.
Brig. Gen. Ruth Yaron, the army's chief spokeswoman, said today that the offensive - the largest in Gaza in years- will continue until troops obliterate weapons-smuggling tunnels and round up militants along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Today, an Israeli missile strike killed three militants in the Rafah Camp. The army said the gunmen were approaching Israeli forces. Hours later, troops fired a tank shell and
killed two militants near the border, Palestinian doctors said.
Elsewhere, a hospital official said one man was killed and two wounded by gunfire in the camp.
Bureau Report
