Israel air strikes hit Gaza camp

[Talon]

Israel air strikes hit Gaza camp

A Palestinian man has been killed and six others have been injured in the latest violence in the Gaza Strip.

The man - a schoolteacher - died on his way to work after an Israeli missile blew apart a home in the Jabaliya camp, Palestinian witnesses said.

Israel has not confirmed the attack. But the army said it later struck at Palestinian militants who were preparing a bomb, injuring three.

Israeli troops have been operating in northern Gaza since late September.

Israel says its operation is designed to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets at Israeli towns.

It is estimated that nearly 100 Palestinians have died since then.

'Ground shook'

The attack on the Jabaliya house - not far from the Kholfa Mosque, a Hamas power base - killed a 38-year-old teacher, hospital officials said.

"We were asleep and suddenly there was a loud explosion and the ground shook," a Jabalya resident said. "Three women neighbours were wounded and several other houses collapsed."

Three others were wounded in the strike, the Palestinians said, while another man wounded an air raid on the camp earlier this month died of his injuries.

An Israel military source said "we are not familiar with any such incident". But Israel said it was behind the later strike in Gaza.

"One of our units spotted two terrorists planting a bomb and the air force struck them," an Israeli military source was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Gaza has been occupied by Israel since 1967.

About 1.4 million Palestinians live in Gaza, of which 900,000 are refugees from conflicts with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is planning to withdraw settlers and Israeli soldiers from Gaza.

Approximately 8,000 settlers from Gaza, and the troops that protect them, are expected to leave Gaza by the end of 2005, though Israel will maintain control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...ast/3731964.stm