Over 80 Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Over 80 Palestinian people have been killed in three days of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, said Palestinian sources.
On Thursday, at least dozens of Palestinians lost their lives in a series of Israeli air attacks targeting different parts of the besieged enclave, including the city of Khan Yunis and the Nusseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Hundreds of people have also been injured in the Israeli airstrikes.
At least 18 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Tuesday.
More causalities are feared as Israel prepares for a ground military operation.
The Israeli Chief of Staff Benny Gantz approved plans to send ground forces into Gaza.
Palestinian officials have already deplored the Israeli attacks as violation of international law and criticized the international community’s salience.
The Israeli forces frequently bomb the Gaza Strip and they claim the actions are being conducted for defensive purposes. However, disproportionate force is always used in violation of international law and civilians are often killed or injured.
Gaza has been blockaded since 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standard of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty.
The apartheid regime of Israel denies about 1.7 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.
Palestinian resistance groups in the besieged Gaza Strip fired the rockets into several Israeli cities in retaliation for Israeli attacks on the coastal enclave on Wednesday.
Palestinian fighters fired several rockets at several cities in the Israeli depth, with the missiles reaching for the first time Haifa city.
"For the first time, the (Ezzedine al-) Qassam Brigades strike Haifa with an R160 rocket, and strike occupied al-Quds with four M75 rockets and Tel Aviv with four M75 rockets," a statement said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has confirmed that two Palestinian rockets have struck the city of Dimona where Israel has a nuclear reactor.
Reacting to Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, a senior Hamas official said the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement is fully prepared and has “plenty of gears” to stun the enemy.
Moshir al-Mesri stressed that Hamas will defend the Palestinian nation with all of available tools.