By NNN-KUNA
Gaza : A Palestinian citizen was killed and 15 others were wounded Sunday in an Israeli raid in Rafah city, south Gaza Strip.
Eyewitnesses told KUNA, “Israeli tanks and helicopters stormed into the airport area, east Rafah, opening heavy fire on Palestinian homes.” “Israeli tanks launched their attack from their posts near the borders between South Gaza Strip and Israel,” eyewitnesses confirmed.
The area witnessed intense clashes between the Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces, resulting in the death of one Palestinian and the injury of 15 others.
Palestinian medical sources said “Palestinian Ibrahim Saleh, 22 years, was a Rafah resident” and added the wounded were transported to Martyr Abu Yousif Al-Najar Hospital.
In another attack, medical sources added that a 20 year old Palestinian was killed last night in Khan Yunis, South Gaza Strip, due to Israeli fire.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmer is planning to recommend that the state fully reinforce all private houses within 4.5 kilometers of the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported Sunday.
Haaretz paper said the recommendation will be submitted Sunday by Olmert’s office to a special ministerial committee on protecting Gaza-area communities.
In the past, the government had offered to fund only partial reinforcement, which residents of these communities deem insufficient, the daily said.
“The current proposal is based on the effective range of the ‘Iron Dome’ anti-rocket system, which is currently under development. Recent tests found the system effective against rockets fired from more than four kilometers away, but not against those fired from closer range.
“Therefore, some 8,000 houses within this distance of Gaza would need to be reinforced.”
About a month ago, Alon Schuster, head of the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, wrote Defense Minister Ehud Barak and warned that Iron Dome would not protect the communities nearest to Gaza because it takes between 10-20 seconds for a Qassam rocket fired from Gaza to reach Sderot and other nearby communities, the daily said.