7 Gazans hurt in IDF shelling
According to Palestinian report, seven Northern Gaza Strip family members hurt by IDF artillery fire Saturday afternoon, including mother and son who suffered serious wounds after their home sustained direct hit
According to the report, a 40-year-old mother and a five-year-old son suffered serious injuries in the shelling.
The IDF said that troops responded with artillery fire at rocket launching sites used by terrorists Friday. Military officials said they are looking into reports about the injured Palestinians.
IDF Southern Command officials said army forces fired more than 250 shells at north Gaza rocket launching sites since Friday night in response to the firing of Qassams on Israel.
"There's no intention to hurt the civilian population or even undermine its daily routine," one official said. "In recent days we didn't fire shells because no Qassams were launched."
"The artillery fire resumed tonight because the Qassams keep on landing in Israel, and there's no intention to accept this," the officer said. "The shelling is directed only at areas where terror cells are active, and the hurt civilians know very well those areas are dangerous."
Sources in Gaza said the IDF fired shells at the northern Gaza Strip throughout the day. Earlier, a 55-year-old man was hurt by shrapnel in Beit Lahiya.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians said they uncovered an apparent weapon-smuggling tunnel near the Rafah crossing. The PA said an investigation has been launched to identify those behind the digging of the tunnel.
Pro-Hamas protests
Elsewhere, protests in support of Hamas were held across Palestinian territories over the weekend. The demonstrations were organized by Hamas under the banner of "No to starvation and no to surrender." At this time, the Hamas-led government is facing a deep financial crisis, with more than 160,000 PA officials still waiting for their March salaries.
Pro-Hamas rally (Photo: AP)
On Tuesday, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to convene a "national conference" to discuss ways of dealing with the ongoing crisis.
On Friday, about 7,000 Palestinians participated in a pro-Hamas rally in the West Bank town of Qalqiliya. The protesters called for an end to the boycott on the Palestinian government and an end to the policy of starvation against the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, Palestinians at al-Najah University called for the release of thousands of prisoners held in Israel.
Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report
