Gaza: 14 killed, 40 wounded in "Israeli" massacre

Source: Al-Manar, 13-06-2008

Palestinians reported that at least seven people have been killed and 40 more wounded in a large explosion in northern Gaza on Thursday afternoon.

Hamas sources told 'Israeli' daily Ynet that two of the seven people martyred were senior operatives from the organization: Hassan Abu-Shakfa, one of the organization's commanders in northern Gaza, and Ashraf Mushtaha, another of Hamas' senior operatives.

The incident occurred in the home of Ahmed Hamouda, who is a member of the Izz al-Din al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. A source from the resistance organization said that the fact that the blast occurred during a meeting held by the senior operatives is evidence that the explosion was part of an 'Israeli' attack, and witnesses also reported the explosion was caused by an 'Israeli' airstrike.

Palestinians said there were women and children among those wounded, five of them are said to be in serious condition. The explosion resounded throughout the far corners of the city and the house has been completely destroyed. A number of neighboring residential buildings and business establishments were seriously damaged.

Sources in Gaza reported Thursday evening that a Palestinian was martyred and three others were injured during an 'Israeli' occupation attack east of Khan Younis.

At around 11 pm Palestinian sources reported that three Hamas resistance fighters were killed in an 'Israeli' strike targeting the organization's observation posts in the northern Gaza Strip.

Earlier in the day occupation forces operating in Gaza killed three Palestinian fighters. Two of them, members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, were killed in the Beit Lahiya region.