GAZA/JERUSALEM: An Israeli air strike killed at least 10people and wounded about 30others on Sunday in aUN-run school in the southern GazaStrip, witnesses and medics said, as dozens died in renewed Israeli shelling of the enclave. The Israeli military declined immediate comment on the attack, the second to hit a school in less than aweek. A missile launched by an aircraft struck the entrance to the school in the town of Rafah, the witnesses and medics said. Hundreds of Palestinians in the area, where the Israeli military has been battling militants, had been sheltering in the facility. READ ALSO: Soldier feared abducted is dead, Israel says Last Wednesday, at least 15Palestinians who sought refuge in aUN-run school in Jabalya refugee camp were killed during fighting, and the UNsaid it appeared that Israeli artillery had hit the building. The Israeli military said gunmen had fired mortar bombs from near the school and it shot back in response. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli shelling killed at least 30people in Gaza,aday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to keep up pressure on Hamaseven after the armycompletes its core mission of destroying atunnel network that extends into Israel. Palestinians carry an injured man following an Israeli military strike on aUNschool in Rafah. (AFP photo) Truce efforts In Cairo, efforts to find anew truce were due to resume on Sunday. A delegation from Palestinian militant groups Hamasand Islamic Jihad arrived in the Egyptian capital, but aquick breakthrough seemed unlikely in the absence of Israeli representatives. After accusing Hamasof breaching aUS and UN-brokered ceasefire on Friday, Israel said it would not send envoys as scheduled. In Gaza,Israel intensified attacks in the area of Rafah along the border with Egypt, where 23-year-old officer Hadar Goldin was feared captured there on Friday shortly after what was to have been a72-hour truce began. The military later said Goldin, who was dragged by militants into atunnel after two of his comrades were killed by asuicide bomber, had also died in action. The findings on the ground, the items that we found led us to the conclusion that he was killed in the initial attack, said Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner, amilitary spokesman. Lerner said ground forces were being redeployed in the GazaStrip, though he gave no details of their new positions, and added that residents from anumber of evacuated Palestinian neighbourhoods had been told by the military they could return. Israeli soldiers ride tanks after returning to Israel from Gaza.(Reuters photo) More than 30tunnels and dozens of access shafts have been unearthed and were being blown up. We have proceeded with the mission in order to eliminate those (tunnels) that we have found and we expect to complete that within ashort period of time, probably within the next 24hours or so, he said. Israel began its air and naval offensive against Gazaon July 8following asurge of cross-border rocket salvoes by Hamasand other guerrillas, later escalating the operation into ground incursions. The fighting on Sunday pushed the Gaza death toll given by Palestinian officials to 1,726,most of them civilians. Israel has confirmed that 64soldiers have died in combat, while Palestinian rockets have also killed three civilians in Israel. At least 30Palestinians in Rafah were killed by Israeli fire on Sunday, including nine from the same family, hospital officials said.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 12:38:10 +0000
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