Day Three: Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza continue

Israel’s bombardment of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has continued into a third day. The Hamas faction said warplanes pounded the Islamic University, which is a potent cultural symbol for Gaza’s rulers. Witnesses say the building was hit six times. Israel said a laboratory there had been used to develop weapons and explosives.

Since midday on Saturday, there’ve been around 300 air-strikes on Gaza. More than 300 people have been killed. Hamas said 180 of its members were among the dead. The other 120 or so, it said, were civilians.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said: “I call on all the Palestinian factions and their military wings to remain on high alert, to take on the responsibility of defending the Palestinian people, and to target the Zionists deeply with fierce and severe attacks.”

Gaza’s southern border became the focus of attention too, as dozens of Palestinians tried to flee into Egypt through holes bulldozed or blasted in the wall. As police tried to stop the influx, an Egyptian border guard and a Palestinian youth were killed.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Gaza, Israel