Update: The Israeli army continued its illegitimate bombardment of Palestinian homes, and civilian property, and killed five family members of a Palestinian journalist, including two children in Gaza City.
Media sources said the Israeli strikes also targeted government facilities and ministries, media outlets, mosques and even homes of senior political leaders of Hamas, including the deputy head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismael Haniyya.
Medical sources said resident Ezat Dheir, a 23-year-old journalist, working for a local radio, was killed along with four members of his family, after an Israeli missile striking his home.
They have been identified as:
- Turkiya Khalil Hamed Dheir (66)
- Ezat Salama Mahmoud Dheir (23). Turkiya’s son.
- Omar Salama Mahmoud Dheir (38). Turkiya’s son.
- Reem Abdel Aziz Mohammed Dheir (32). Omar’s wife
- Maria Omar Salama Dheir (12). Reem and Omar”s daughter
- Ghidaa Omar Salama Dheir (7). Reem and Omar”s daughter
- Mohammed Omar Salama Dheir (10). Reem and Omar’s son
- Mo’men Omar Salam Dheir (9). Reem and Omar’s son
- Yamen Omar Salama Dheir (5). Reem and Omar’s son
- Mahmoud Salama Mahmoud Dheir (46). Turkiya’s son.
- Jamalat Mahmoud Mohammed Dheir (41). Mahmoud’s wife
- Salama Mahmoud Salama Dheir (12). Jamalat and Mahmoud’s son
- Mohammed Mahmoud Salama Dheir (8). Jamalat and Mahmoud’s son
- Arwa Mahmoud Dheir (16)
- Shorouq Mahmoud Salama Dheir (21) Jamalat and Mahmoud’s daughter
- Ola Mahmoud Salama Dheir (19)
- Yasmin Ahmed Dheir, 24 (Omar’s sister-in-law)
- Tasneem Mohammed Salama Dheir (4) Yasmin’s daughter
- Wafaa Abdel Razeq Eid Dheir (29) Omar’s sister-in-law who was pregnant.
The al-Hurriyya (Freedom) Radio issued a statement denouncing the ongoing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including journalists and medics, adding that Dheir was its correspondent in Gaza.
Also on Tuesday, head of the al-Borei Local council, Anis Abu Shammala, was killed after an Israeli missile was fired into is home.
On Monday, ten children were killed, and more than 30 were injured, when the army fires missiles into a playground north of the Shaty’ refugee camp, west of Gaza City.
The army also fired missiles into clinics of the Shifa Hospital, one of the biggest hospitals in the Gaza Strip, wounding at least five Palestinians.
Another Palestinian was killed, and three were injured, after the army fired a missile into his home in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Three Palestinians, including two brothers, have also been killed by an Israeli missile striking a home, belonging to al-Hashshash family, in Rafah.
Gaza’s main power plant was hit by Israeli tank shells on Tuesday, shutting it down completely. The power plant had already been operating at 20% capacity, after having been hit by Israeli airstrikes last week. Most Palestinians depend on the central Gaza power plant to provide electricity.
This will also severely impact the ability of Palestinians to communicate to the outside world via the Internet — which has been the main source of information getting out of Gaza up until this point. Gaza’s main power plant was also heavily bombarded during the Israeli invasion of 2009, which had a serious impact on hospitals’ ability to provide care.
At least 40 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli missiles on Tuesday, while dozens have been injured, some seriously.
At least 1100 Palestinians have been killed, and Israeli missiles have injured more than 6470 and shells since Israel launched its offensive on Gaza on July 8. The majority of the casualties are are children, women and elderly.
