By NNN-KUNA,
Gaza : Israel continued Wednesday, for the 12th day in a row, its assault on the Gaza Strip, killing so far some 660 Palestinians and injuring over 3,000 others.
Local radio stations quoted Palestinian medical sources as saying on Wednesday that 225 of the killed Palestinians were children and 79 were women. They added that many of the injured were in critical condition.
On Wednesday, Israeli planes fired several rockets at the multi-storey Taqwa Mosque in the Sheikh Radhwan district, destroying it and killing and injuring a number of Palestinians.
In addition, a Palestinian was killed and two others were injured in an Israeli raid on the eastern parts of Al-Zaitoun district, southern Gaza City, early Wednesday.
According to local radio stations, Al-Zaitoun district is witnessing clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces that intruded into the district with their tanks on Monday.
The Israeli tanks are trying to intrude into Gaza City and are doing so under the cover of Israeli helicopters, they added.
Many Palestinian homes in the district were destroyed and were set on fire as a result of the Israeli bombardment, radio stations quoted eyewitnesses as saying.
Clashes are also taking place in the northern parts of Jabaliya and Beit Lahya towns in northern Gaza Strip, in which Israeli planes are firing rockets at agricultural areas.
Israeli planes bombarded a multi-storey house in the Al-Nusairat refugee camp in central Gaza early Wednesday, demolishing it completely, injuring a number of Palestinians, and destroying nearby homes.
Israeli raids also targeted other homes and buildings in different areas of the Gaza Strip, especially Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza cities.
A large number of Israeli rockets hit late Tuesday night the border area between Rafah City and Egypt, where Israel claims tunnels were used to smuggle weapons into Gaza.
Early Wednesday, the coasts of Sheikh Ajleen area of Gaza City was bombarded by Israeli military ships.
In the meantime, bakeries in Gaza became very crowded with Palestinians who were seeking to get bread, while prices of flour, which will run out soon, increased. Many bakeries shut down after running out of fuel, cooking gas, and flour, while most areas in the Strip still suffer from power blackouts.
Meanwhile, Fatah’s military wing, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, announced that two of its members were killed Tuesday evening in clashes with Israeli forces in Beit Lahya in northern Gaza and Absan in the south.
For its part, the Israeli Army announced that its forces hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza so far.
Speaking to Israel Radio, spokesman of the army said the forces would begin the third phase of their “Operation Cast Lead” on Gaza, adding that Israeli raids and ground incursion continued Tuesday night.
He claimed that Hamas’ leaders were hiding in tunnels and hospitals.
Israel’s mini-cabinet was reportedly meeting Wednesday to discuss details of the third phase of the operation in Gaza.
In the meantime, the Al-Quds Brigades of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility on Wednesday for firing six “Quds” rockets at a number of Israeli settlements as response to the Israeli massacres in Gaza.
A release issued by the brigades said that the rockets targeted Sderot, Eshkol, and Be’eri, in addition to an Israeli military site.
Israel admitted the rocket attacks, but claimed they did not cause damage or casualties, it added.