School children in Rafah exposed to Israeli army gunfire

Thursday February 21, 2008 11:46 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies

Palestinian school children in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah have been reportedly exposed to Israeli army gun fire on Thursday morning, as resistance fighters clashed with the army forces.

A column of Israeli tanks/ archive photo

The Israeli army forces in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah opened heavy gun fire on Palestinian school children of the Shuka village, witnesses said.

Witnesses added that the children have been stranded at the school as the Israeli army has exchanged gun fire with resistance fighters in the area.

Local families have appealed to all concerned bodies to protect their children, who came across fire.

Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli army carried out a small-scale incursion into the aLshuka, as resistance fighters claimed firing mortar shells towards the invading force.

The Rafah city has been recently exposed to a series of Israeli army attacks, with the Gaza International Airport, having been further devastated and vast areas of arable Palestinian lands having been razed.

Israeli military has recently threatened of waging a large-scale offensive on the Gaza Strip, within what Israel says ' an attempt to stop Palestinian homemade shells fire' onto nearby Israeli towns.

In September2007, Israel declared the coastal region a ' hostile entity', and began in October imposing a series of punitive measures against the Gaza's population, including fuel supplies cut.

In June of last year, Israel placed Gaza under a strict closure, right after the Islamist Hamas movement took over the coastal territory amidst a power struggle with Fatah party of President Mahmoud Abbas, who embraces a peace strategy.

rafah | israeli attacks | news report rami at imemc dot org