24 Palestinians killed, and over 70 wounded in the past 36 hours in Gaza Strip

The Israel Air Force renewed air strikes at armed Palestinians in northern Gaza on Friday morning, hours after the heaviest day of bombardment at the Gaza Strip in the past four years.

Israeli air force jet fighters fired a missile at a group of residents and killed Wa’el Nasser, 30, and injured eight people in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia area on Friday morning.

Medical sources said that Nasser was hit several parts of his body and died instantly.

Nasser death brings the death toll in Gaza Strip in the past 36 hours to 24.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the Strip since the start of the Israeli military operation “Summer Rains” which began on June 26, reached 40, including resistance fighters and civilians, and over 100 were wounded.

On the other hand, Israeli Army top officials say that operation “Summer Rain” will not stop the Palestinian resistance groups from firing home-made Qassam shells.

Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said Palestinians will not stop firing Qassams.

"It doesn’t mean there won’t be Qassam fire if we leave tomorrow or the day after," he said, but they “will pay a high price for every Qassam fired."

Israel launched this latest offensive after it rejected a deal proposed by the Palestinian resistance groups to release 1000 Palestinian women and children who sit in Israeli jails in exchange of the release of the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured on Sunday, June 25 in a military operation at a military post in the southern Gaza Strip.