Palestinian civilians paying a heavy in combat

Missile strikes and the street battles in Gaza have reportedly pushed the Palestinian death toll above 540. At least one Israeli soldier has been killed and around 50 injured in the fighting. The Palestinian victims have included several children. Israel says it has taken measures to avoid civilian casualties but few in Gaza believe it.

One man voiced his anger. “The Israeli army has no mercy. It’s targeting everyone who moves. Anything that moves is a target. They’re bombing our lands, our homes. They’re firing missiles on our houses and homes. They say they are not targeting civilians, but they are lying,” he said.

Gaza’s scant medical resources have been overwhelmed by the casualty rate. One Red Cross worker said: “The teams, the medical staff, the surgeons are extremely tired because they are working around the clock. It’s not easy to bring more staff nowadays following the land operations of the Israeli forces as Gaza was cut into two halves and the staff from Rafah, from the south of Gaza cannot cross to the north.” People have fled to Gaza city from combat in the north of the Strip. But they have found little respite there.

Copyright © 2009 euronews

tags: Palestinian Territories