16 Martyred in Air Strike on Mosque ~ Toll Reaches 463, including 85 children

Source: Agencies, 3-1-2009

Gaza entered Saturday its second week under "Israel's" deadly aggression as air raids continue to pound random targets after the "Israeli" bank of targets dried out. Civilian houses, mosques, ambulances and hospitals were the most targeted sites recently, and the number of children killed in the "Israeli" attack has been increasing significantly in recent days. More than 85 children and 21 women have been killed in "Israeli" air raids according to Palestinian medical sources. So far at least ten mosques have been totally destroyed in the Strip.

And in a fresh massacre committed by the Zionist forces, at least sixteen Palestinians were martyred and 40 others wounded when an "Israeli" air raid struck a mosque during prayers in the northern town of Jabalia. At least 16 bodies were pulled from the rubble of the Ibrahim al-Maqadna mosque after it was struck by a missile, medics and witnesses said. More than 200 people were inside the mosque praying when it was struck, witnesses said. Four other Palestinians were martyred in "Israeli" shelling of Salah Eddine gate on the border of Rafah [border] crossing in the South of the Gaza strip.

Earlier during the day, "Israeli" fighter Jets conducted air raids on open areas in Gaza, mainly on the American School in Beit Lahiya where a guard named Sami Abu Qleik was killed. Earlier Hamas commander, Abu Zakaria al-Jamal died of wounds sustained during a dawn air raid on the Shajaiyeh region east of Gaza city. A seven-year old girl was also killed in this raid. Another Palestinian injured in an "Israeli" air raid on a vehicle in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis has died of his wounds. Another Palestinian was martyred in the strike earlier.

The total number of martyrs on the eighth day of "Israel's" genocidal war on Gaza reached 460 martyrs and the number of injured lying in ill equipped hospitals has exceeded 2300 Palestinians.
For its part, the resistance group Hamas said early Saturday morning that it foiled an attempt by "Israeli" Special Forces to infiltrate the Shajaiyeh section of Gaza City.

A spokesman for the military wing of Hamas, the Izzeddine Qassam Brigades, said resistance fighters had detected a number of "Israeli" soldiers trying to infiltrate into Shajaiyeh and dealt with them. The spokesman said Hamas fighters fired six mortar shells and opened automatic fire at them and eventually repelled the "Israeli" force.

Meanwhile, two Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev settlement. There were no reports of injuries or damage. Four other Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the Sderot area.

Earlier, two "Israeli"s were lightly wounded by shrapnel after a rocket struck an apartment building in Ashdod on Saturday. Two more people were treated for shock. At least nine rockets struck the Western Negev on Saturday morning, with one making a direct hit on a house in Ashkelon and two others falling elsewhere in the city. An additional strike was reported in Kiryat Malachi.

On Saturday morning, "Israeli" fighter jets dropped leaflets across the Gaza Strip ordering its resident to evacuate the area. The Strip's crossings, particularly the Rafah crossing with Egypt, are closed and the 1.5 million Gazans will have to remain where they are.

According to analysts, the leaflets are part of the psychological war on the Palestinians in Gaza at a time "Israel" is still hesitant to decide on whether to launch a ground offensive or not. Analysts, also say that the incursion into Shajaiyeh was a foiled test balloon to explore Hamas's undisclosed "surprises" awaiting "Israeli" ground forces.