GAZA, May 16 (NNN-XINHUA) – Tension between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continued yesterday, for the seventh day in a row, as death toll in the coastal enclave climbed to 181, and 1,225 others, including women and children, were injured, officials said.
The health ministry in Gaza said, since last Monday, 181 Palestinians have been killed, including 52 children and 31 women, and 1,225 others had different injuries.
Militant groups, led by the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), fired barrages of rockets from the Gaza Strip at cities and towns in central and southern Israel.
Israeli fighter jets intensified its airstrikes on buildings, military posts and facilities all over the strip, according to security sources.
The sources said, the houses of Hamas chief in the Gaza Strip, Yehya Sinwar and his brother, were destroyed in the intensive Israeli airstrikes, waged on the southern city of Khan Younis.
Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza, said that, during the night and yesterday morning, 23 Palestinians were killed and over 50 wounded, in the airstrikes on Gaza.
An Israeli army spokesman said, in the last 24 hours, Israeli jets struck 90 targets, including the houses of Sinwar and his brother Mohammed.
The spokesman said, militants fired more than 120 rockets towards Israel, adding, the Iron Dome Defence System has intercepted most of them.
Palestinian sources told Xinhua that Egypt is trying to pressure the two sides to declare a temporary humanitarian cease-fire, to alleviate the suffering in Gaza, until a permanent truce is reached.
The sources added that the Egyptian proposal “is under discussion by the Palestinian factions and is on the table of Israeli cabinet for discussion.– NNN-XINHUA
