Israel on Sunday continued intensive air strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip for the second successive day, killing 285 Palestinians so far in a powerful offensive aimed to halt nearly daily cross-border rocket attacks.
"The death toll so far is 285 and is subject to increase," said Mu’awia Hassanien, director of emergencies at the health ministry, adding that 900 have been wounded, 180 of them seriously.
The latest Israeli strike hit the main security compound which houses the central prison, killing at least three prisoners and one of their guards.
Following the strike, the prisoners managed to flee the detention facility, though some Hamas militants tried to intercept them.
Israel launched the air strikes on the Gaza Strip before noon on Saturday, destroying more than 40 Hamas-linked security installations, including police stations, in a period of two minutes.
Israeli leaders said the offensive was in revenge for almost daily cross-border rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip which intensified after a six-month truce between Gaza ruler Hamas and Israel expired a week ago.
Most of the fatalities were reported in the first air attacks in which F-16 fighter jets, Apache helicopters and drones were involved. The strikes continued throughout the night but less intensively.
Al-Aqsa satellite channel, run by Hamas, was among the targets that the fighter jets attacked after midnight and its four-story building were completely destroyed. Minutes later, the channel resumed broadcast from unknown studios prepared in advance as an alternative.
Palestinian militants responded by firing rockets into Israel since the first hour of the offensive. Gaza militants fired some 80 rockets into the Jewish state, according to emergency service.
On Sunday morning, Hamas operatives launched three Grads (military-grade rockets) towards Israel, which landed near main port Ashdod, Israeli news service Ynet reported, adding it marked the northernmost range of Gazan rockets seen to date-- more than 40 km.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sources, however, said Hamas response so far to Israel’s aerial attack of strategic targets in Gaza was relatively restrained, despite the rocket fire of short-range and Grads, adding that it is possible for Hamas to give a massive response.
It was far too early to assume Hamas has been subdued, said the IDF, noting that the militant group still has the capacity to shoot heavy barrages of rockets, as well as to attempt terror attacks along the fence between Gaza and Israel, and in Israel itself.
Streets in Gaza were empty except for the ambulance and fire engine trucks as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), based in West Bank, and the deposed Hamas administration in Gaza announced a three-day mourning.
"It is like an earthquake," said Gaza resident Mohammed Jafarawi in his description of the situation.
"The earthquake kills most of the people in a matter of few minutes and then more people die in the subsequent shakes," he said, referring to the first simultaneous strikes.
以色列28日继续对加沙地带进行空袭,并决定征召部分后备役军人,为加沙地带的紧张局势可能升级做准备。截至目前,空袭已造成至少285人死亡、900多人受伤。国际社会在谴责以军空袭行动的同时,继续呼吁巴以双方停火,避免伤及无辜。
巴勒斯坦伊斯兰抵抗运动(哈马斯)在一份声明中说,以军F-16战斗机和阿帕奇直升机对加沙地带多处目标和建筑物进行了约25次轰炸,最近的一次空袭目标是哈马斯的内阁大楼,造成大楼严重损坏和人员伤亡。以军在27日夜间和28日凌晨还袭击了哈马斯控制的阿克萨电视台和一座清真寺,并在下午轰炸了加沙地带南部拉法与埃及边境一带,以摧毁该地区数百条地下秘密通道。
巴勒斯坦地区28日开始了为期3天的哀悼活动。在约旦河西岸地区过渡政府所在地,巴民族权力机构主席府和毗邻的阿拉法特墓降下了半旗。当地所有店铺、银行、政府机构从当天开始停止工作3天,昔日热闹的街道今日一片沉寂,偶尔有两侧车窗插上了黑色旗帜的车辆驶过。
在拉姆安拉市中心,数百人自发聚集在狮子广场,他们神情肃穆,有的举着白色旗帜,有的扛着写有“巴勒斯坦团结起来”的标语牌。广场飘荡着悲哀的民族音乐,以寄托人们的哀思。
在加沙地带,到处可以见到临时搭建的哀悼帐篷。和西岸地区一样,加沙地带的店铺、银行和政府机构当天也全部关门,人们在家中或清真寺悼念空袭死难者。
以色列内阁28日举行会议,决定征召6500名后备役军人,为加沙地带的紧张局势可能升级做准备。当天早些时候,数百名以军步兵和装甲部队士兵被派往加沙地带边境。以色列国防部长巴拉克27日曾表示,如果需要,以军将对加沙地带发动地面攻势。
针对以军的大规模空袭,联合国安理会28日发表声明,呼吁巴以双方“立即停止暴力”。安理会本月轮值主席、克罗地亚常驻联合国代表内文·尤里察宣读声明说,安理会对“加沙局势升级表示严重关切”,呼吁巴以双方“立即停止所有军事活动”。
伊拉克政府28日发表声明,谴责以军对加沙地带的大规模空袭,要求以色列立即停止军事行动,不要对巴勒斯坦平民采取“集体惩罚措施”。伊拉克多个城市当天都发生了抗议以色列空袭的示威活动,示威者愤怒地焚烧以色列国旗,高呼支持巴勒斯坦的口号。
俄罗斯外长拉夫罗夫28日与以色列外长利夫尼通电话,呼吁以巴立即停止武装冲突。拉夫罗夫强调,加沙地带的局势恢复平静有助于保障以色列南部居民的安全,以方应保证人道主义救援物资能够送入加沙地带。
土耳其总统居尔27日发表声明说,他对以色列空袭加沙的行为深感遗憾,认为这是不负责任的举动,它不仅关系到以色列和巴勒斯坦,还关系到整个地区的稳定。
沙特阿拉伯政府27日发表声明,强烈谴责以色列空袭加沙地带的暴行。沙特国王阿卜杜拉表示,沙特将向巴勒斯坦提供医疗援助。他还邀请所有在加
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