By Xinhua
Jabalia, Gaza : Mona Dardouna, a 45-year-old mother, along with her husband and their four children, left behind their house east of Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip and moved to her brother’s house in Gaza City amid Israeli intensive blitz against Gaza.
“After we saw how the tank shells hit our neighbor’s houses, kill women and children, I decided to leave the area with my family. If we stay at home in such circumstances, we would lose our lives,” said Mona.
The area of eastern Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip turned into a real battle field between Palestinian militant groups and the Israeli army forces.
The Israeli troops have been carrying out a major offensive on Gaza since Wednesday, trying to curb rocket barrage the militants fired at southern Israel.
Israeli Apache attack helicopters, F-16 warplanes and reconnaissance drones kept hovering over the Gaza Strip and firing missiles at constructions all over Gaza Strip without evading civilians.
Women and children were among the casualties. In eastern Jabalia, two sisters, a father and his son, and two children were killed in three Israeli strikes by tank shells.
“It was a scary situation. The militants are everywhere in the neighborhood. During the exchange of fire, Israeli missiles and tank shells hit houses and killed children,” said Mona.
Hamas television showed tough footages of destroyed houses, ambulances moving corpses and casualties. It also showed bodies of children, mainly the body of the 6-month-old toddler that was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Hamas-interior ministry building in Gaza City on Thursday.
Mona added that Israel is not fighting Hamas and the offensive is not to prevent rocket attacks, “this war is against all the Palestinian people, and Israel kills the people with no differentiation.”
In Gaza City, the streets are empty as buzz of drones and helicopters flying over Gaza Strip can be heard round the clock.
Helicopters didn’t only launch missiles at houses, Hamas buildings and blacksmith shops, but also opened intensive heavy gunfire at northern Gaza.
Mo’aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services, said that since Wednesday, 98 Palestinians have been killed and 300 others wounded.
Hospitals in Gaza are crowed with wounded people who need intensive treatment, Hassanein said, adding that the ministry of health is in real crisis due to the Israeli offensive and blockade.
“We don’t have enough medical aid. Part of the medical equipment in the hospitals don’t work properly and we are facing asevere shortage of fuels mainly for ambulances,” he complained.
The deposed government of Hamas are holding intensive contacts with Egypt to open Rafah border crossing to allow dozens of casualties to receive medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals.
Ayman Taha, Hamas spokesman in Gaza said that dozens of Palestinians, who were injured in the last 5-day offensive headed to the border area with Egypt, waiting to receive treatment in Egyptian hospitals.
“It is a real war, not only against militants who fire rockets at Israel, but also a war against every Palestinian in the Gaza Strip,” said Hazem Abu Shanab, a senior Fatah leader in Gaza, accusing Israel of “committing crimes against humanity.”
The rough Israeli military operation, however, doesn’t seem to stop Palestinian militant groups from launching makeshift rockets at Israel.
Abu Mujahed, spokesman of the Popular Resistance Committees, said the Israeli offensive “won’t prevent rockets barrage on Israel. The tough Israeli attacks would make militants stronger.”