[Washington Post] Griff Witte and Sudarsan Raghavan - Israeli soldiers battling Hamas gunmen in Gaza on Tuesday fired mortar shells at a UN-run school where Palestinians had sought refuge from the fighting, killing at least 40 people, after Hamas fighters launched mortar shells from the school. The Israeli military said its soldiers fired in self-defense. The incident underscored the dangers Palestinian civilians face as Israeli soldiers fight their way across Gaza against an enemy that does not wear uniforms or operate from bases, but instead mingles with the population. Rockets continued to be launched from Gaza Tuesday, with 35 landing in Israel. Israel says it will not stop its offensive until it has international guarantees that Hamas can be prevented from continuing to fire rockets.
2009-01-07 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive