Israeli air strikes kill 14

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-29-2008 08:51

Over in the Middle East tension was running high in Gaza on Thursday as Israel's military launched a series of air attacks on Hamas targets in the region.

Palestinians evacuate a wounded man after an Israeli missile destroyed the Workers Union headquarters in  Gaza February 28, 2008. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

14 Palestinians were killed in the attack. This comes after a rocket barrage by Hamas on Israeli land a day earlier.

In one attack, an Israeli helicopter attacked a target outside the Gaza home of deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haneya.

The helicopter hit a police roadblock about 150 meters from Haneya's home, in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza city.

Since midnight Wednesday to Thursday afternoon, Israel carried out more than 10 airstrikes in northern and central Gaza.

14 people were killed, including four youths and the son of a hardline Hamas leader.

The latest wave of violence began on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike killed five Hamas militants travelling in a van.

In response, Hamas fired more than 40 rockets into Israel. This has been one of the heaviest barrages in months.

One rocket landed on an Israeli college campus in the southern town of Sderot, killing a 47-year-old father of four. It was the first fatal rocket attack since last May.

Shimon Peres, Israeli President, said, "The terrorists cannot win and they cannot stop that's their problem. We shall not permit them to win and we shall call them to stop and I believe it will take time."

After two days of fighting, the death toll has climbed to 25 Palestinians and threatens to worsen the ongoing bloodshed in the area.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei