Girl wounded in Khan Younis strike
Photo: AP
MK el-Sana. 'Children in catastrophic state'
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Arab MK: Only Palestinian kids get killed
MK el-Sana visits injured Palestinians at Soroka Medical Center, calls for end to cycle of violence. 'It appears Israel wants escalation,' he claims. Palestinian Health Ministry publishes report stating IDF killed 37 people is last two weeks
During a visit with members of the Ghalia family, hospitalized in serious condition at the Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, Israeli-Arab Knesset Member Talab el-Sana (United Arab List-Ta'al) said Thursday, "While children in both Sderot and Gaza need to be protected, it is only Palestinian children who are getting killed so far.
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Nine year-old Adham Ghalia and Amani Anwal, 23, a mother of two, were injured in the Gaza beach blast about two weeks ago. Ghalia is suffering from a multisystem injury as a result of shrapnel, and is hospitalized at the children's intensive care unit. Anwal, who sustained similar injuries, is hospitalized at the general intensive care unit.
"I spoke with Anwal's husband, who claims that they arrived at the beach just when two shells landed. They told the kids to run away and started gathering their belongings when a third shell hit them," el-Sana described.
Up until now, Anwal's husband has not been allowed entry to Israel in order to visit his wife at the hospital, and el-Sana promised he would help speed up the process.
According to the MK, he was shocked by the condition of the injured. "It's horrifying to see the catastrophic state the children are in. Civilians and the innocent should immediately be taken out off the cycle of violence," he stated.
According to Soroka officials, the two are ventilated and continue to be unconscious and in serious condition. It will take some time before they can be released from the hospital. "I feel sorry for the children, both Israeli and Palestinians," el-Sana stated, adding that he appreciates the care given to the wounded in the Beer Sheva hospital.
'Haniyeh wants ceasefire'
El-Sana said that he had contacted Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and President Mahmoud Abbas, and have also asked the Defense Ministry to allow him access into Gaza in order to discuss the situation with the Palestinian leaders, but that his request has not been approved yet.
"It appears that the Israeli side wants escalation. It's foolish because civilians get killed," he said.
According to the MK, Abbas told him that the Qassam fire undermines the Palestinian national interests, while Haniyeh said that his men were committed to the ceasefire which Israel has been constantly violating. El-Sana said that Haniyeh stressed the Palestinians were willing to declare a total ceasefire.
"Qassam are being fired at us because of the targeted killings, and the targeted killings are carried out in response to the Qassams. This is a never-ending cycle. I think that the targeted killing policy is the greatest producer of suicide bombers," el-Sana said.
Report: IDF killed 37 Palestinians in last 2 weeks
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry published Thursday a report on the casualties caused as a result of the IDF's recent strikes in Gaza. according to the report, 37 people were killed in these operations between June 9 and Wednesday. The report also claims that Israel has been escalating in recent days its "crimes of violence and killing" against innocent Palestinians and that it has increased attacks against civilians, mainly in the Strip.
Overall, 23 people were killed in what Israel defined as accidents leading to the deaths of passersby. The report spotlights the Gaza beach blast which killed seven members of the Ghalia family and injured 31 people, including 15 children.
In another incident in the northern Strip, 11 people were killed during a strike against Islamic Jihad members. Four paramedics and three members of the Mugrabi family died in the strike. In addition, 52 people, eight of them children and nine paramedics, were wounded in the attack.
Three Palestinian children were killed on Tuesday in a strike aimed against Palestinian operatives, while 16 people sustained injuries, eight of them children. The most recent incident took place Wednesday, when two siblings were killed and 11 of their relatives were injured in an IDF strike. Six of the injured were between the ages 2-10.
Six women were killed in IDF operations, one of them was pregnant when she died, the report states.
Ali waked contributed to the report
