9 Palestinians martyred in Gaza

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli forces martyred nine Palestinians and injured 28 others in several attacks carried against the Gaza Strip on Friday.

The statement came after a fighter of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, died in an Israeli air strike that targeted Al Boreij refugee camp, in the Central Gaza Strip on Friday evening.

On Friday noon, five Palestinians were martyred and several others were injured when the army shelled a number of homes east of Al Boreij refugee camp.

Medical sources reported that the bodies of five youth, and six other wounded residents, were transferred to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

The five martyred residents were identified as Shihab Abu Rabee’, 17, Jihad Abu Zbeid, 19, Yousef Al Mighari, 17, Abdul-Raziq Nofal, 19, and a 13-year old child who was later on identified as Yousef Sarhan. Their bodies were severely mutilated, medical sources added.

Also, a 12-year old child, identified as Riyadh Al Owisy, died on Friday at noon after the army shelled his parents’ home east of Al Boreij refugee camp. Eight residents were injured in the shelling, some seriously.

Moreover, two children were severely injured earlier on Friday when the army fired several shells at the camp.

On Friday at dawn, two activists of the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were martyred when the Israeli air force shelled a center which belongs to the brigades in Khuza’a town, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.  The two resistance memebers were identified as Mohammad Al Najjar and Amin Al Najjar.

At least 15 Palestinians, including civilians and children, were martyred in the Gaza Strip since Wednesday. The recent offensive was carried out after resistance fighters killed two Israelis in an attack against the Nahal Oz military base in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.