Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian in Gaza

14/07/2006| IslamWeb

A Palestinian has been killed by Israeli troops firing a tank shell at his truck in Gaza.

Palestinians said the truck took a wrong turn and ended up near Israeli forces in central Gaza early on Friday. A tank then fired a shell which hit the vehicle.

The driver escaped but a passenger was wounded and later died.

Israeli planes later destroyed a bridge in the central Gaza Strip, wounding a civilian, Palestinian security sources said. It was the fourth bridge destroyed by Israel since the offensive in Gaza began two weeks ago.

Offices belonging to Hamas politicians and alleged military training camps in northern Gaza were also hit.

Rotating forces

On Friday, witnesses reported that Israeli tanks were moving in southern Gaza. The military said they were rotating forces in and out of the territory.

More than 80 Palestinians have been killed during Israeli incursions into Gaza which Tel Aviv says is to rescue a soldier captured in a cross-border raid on June 25 and stop fighters from firing rockets into Israel.

Palestinian politician Mushir al-Masri said Israel's offensive would not achieve its goals. "The Zionists are mistaken if they think that solving the case of their captured soldier can come through escalation. This case is not gong to be solved for free."

Israel has said it will not negotiate or release prisoners in exchange for the soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinians friends and relatives of three teenagers killed yesterday pray over their bodies at a mosque prior to their burial in al-Bureij Palestinian refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. (AFP)