Jan 2, 2009

Gaza – Ma’an – Sixteen out of the 28 killed in Israeli airstrikes since New Year’s Eve were children; nine were from the same family, nine of the adults killed were women.

The percentage of Israeli casualties that are children in 2009 is 57%.

On Friday the bodies of the Rayan family children were buried, and Palestinian medical sources confirmed the deaths of three more Palestinians under 17.

Seven Palestinians have been killed since midnight Thursday bringing the death toll to 428 and the injured to 2,220 on day seven of the Israeli operation.

The day’s strikes were reported as follows:

2:45 One of the children killed Friday was from the Al-Astal family. He was playing outside his home in the Al-Qararra neighborhood was killed when a shell hit the area.

2:30 In the An-Nuseirat refugee camp the Israeli army targeted the home of Imad A’qel, a prominent leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The home was destroyed but no injuries were reported.

A’qel is one of the assistants to general leader of the brigades Ahmad Al-Ja’bari.

2:15pm Three were killed in an airstrike on Al-Qarara village in southern Gaza.

2:00pm Shells landed on the home of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades leader in the central Strip.

1:15pm 20 year-old Fadi Shebat killed in Israeli shelling at Bet Hanoun

1:00pm 15 year-old Hammad Mesbeh was killed by Israeli shells in Gaza City.

Medical sources in the Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that Hammad was killed by shrapnel from an Israeli missile strike fired from a pilotless drone. His body was difficult to identify since it arrived to the hospital in pieces.

12:10pm Gazans crowd Jabaliya streets in public outcry against Israeli killing of Hamas leader Nizar Ryan and his 15 family members on Thursday.

12:00pm Shells fall on Der Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

10:30am One dead several injured as Israeli missiles land on home in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip. 6 year-old Christine At-Turk died from her wounds sustained during the strike on Friday afternoon.

10:00am Foad Al-Matuq was killed and four were injured after Israeli shells hit an empty home in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

Shelling targeted the home of Nabil Matuq, Fouad’s brother. The home was also demolished.

9:00am Missile strikes in residential areas across the Strip were reported.

7:00am Israeli missiles targeted the homes of two Hamas members in the Al-Bureij refugee camp near Gaza City. The strikes left the homes of the men totally demolished, as well as damaging several buildings in the area.

One of the damaged homes belonged to Jamal Ad-Durrah, the father of Muhammad Ad-Durrah, whose death at the hands of Israeli gunfire was caught on film in the now iconic image of the young boy cowering behind his father as they hide behind an oil drum in the face of Israeli fire.

6:45am Two homes in Rafah were bombed, injuring six people.

6:30am Israeli shelling targeted a house in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood west of Gaza City.

6:00am Israeli shelling hit the Caliphates’ Mosque in the Jabalia refugee camp injuring four Palestinians.

5:45am Thousands of birds were killed when Israeli fire targeted a farm in Gaza City.



***Updated 17:18 Bethlehem time