Israel strike kills 11 in Gaza

73 Palestinians have been killed in five-day attack

By Ibrahim Barzak and Josef Federman, Associated Press

Israel strike kills 11 in Gaza — Times Record News, 19 November 2012 — Times Record News · Wichita Falls, Texas · 19 November 2012

Transcribed from the clipping

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — An Israeli missile ripped through a two-story home in a residential area of Gaza City on Sunday, killing at least 11 civilians, including four young children and an 81-year-old woman, in the single deadliest attack of Israel's offensive against Islamic militants.

The bloodshed was likely to raise pressure on Israel to end the fighting, even as it pledged to intensify the offensive by striking the homes of wanted militants. High numbers of civilian casualties in an offensive four years ago led to fierce criticism and condemnation of Israel. In all, 73 Palestinians, including 37 civilians, have been killed in the five-day onslaught.

Three Israeli civilians have also died from Palestinian rocket fire. President Barack Obama said he was in touch with players across the region in hopes of halting the fighting, while also warning of the risks of Israel expanding its air assault into a ground war.

“We're going to have to see what kind of progress we can make in the next 24, 36, 48 hours,” Obama said during a visit in Thailand. On the ground, there were no signs of any letup in the fighting as Israel announced it was widening the offensive to target the military commanders of the ruling Hamas group.

The Israeli military carried out dozens of airstrikes throughout the day, and naval forces bombarded targets along Gaza's Mediterranean coast. Many of the attacks focused on homes where militant leaders or weapons were believed to be hidden.

Palestinian militants continued to barrage Israel with rockets, firing more than 100 on Sunday, and setting off air raid sirens across the southern part of the country. Some 40 rockets were intercepted by Israel's U.S.-financed “Iron Dome” rocket-defense system, including two that targeted the metropolis of Tel Aviv. At least 10 Israelis were wounded by shrapnel.

Israel's decision to step up its attacks in Gaza marked a new and risky phase of the operation, given the likelihood of civilian casualties in the densely populated territory of 1.6 million Palestinians. Israel launched the offensive Wednesday in what it said was an effort to end months of intensifying rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Context added by this archive

One World page carrying three stacked stories in this order: Israel strike kills 11 in Gaza; Israel city becomes ghost town (by Aron Heller, datelined Beersheba); Hamas links truce to Gaza blockade (by Karin Laub and Lauren E. Bohn).

Cite this item

"Israel strike kills 11 in Gaza," Times Record News, 19 November 2012. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2012-007. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2012-007