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Last update - 23:29 07/01/2009
Israel bombs south Gaza tunnels, tells local residents to flee
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: israel, hamas, israel news 

The Israel Air Force attacked towns in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening, in an effort to crumble the smuggling tunnels dug by militants on the border between the Hamas-ruled coastal territory and Egypt.



Residents on the Gaza-Egypt border said Israel dropped leaflets in the area, urging them to leave immediately because of planned Israel strikes.
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Hamas' weapons smuggling tunnels are located in the area, and Israel has already destroyed dozens of them in repeated air strikes.

The leaflet addressed the residents of a strip of neighborhoods that run
parallel ot the Egypt border.

"Because Hamas uses your houses to hide and smuggle military weapons, the IDF will attack the area, between the Egyptian border until the beach road," the leaflet said, according a local UN official.

After the leaflets were dropped, more than 800 families fled to two UN
schools turned into temporary shelters.

At least 24 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday in the Strip. Four died of injuries sustained at the bombing of the school in the Jabalya refugee camp Tuesday, bringing the total casualties in that attack to 46.

In another incident Wednesday afternoon, a father and three of his children were killed in an air strike on their car in the Beit Lahiya area, medics said.

Meanwhile, 11 Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded on Wednesday as ground and air operations continued in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Air Force attacked some 40 targets in the Strip early in the day, among them 15 tunnels. Ground forces neutralized explosive devices and fought Hamas militants.

During a cessation of the offensive between 1 and 4 P.M., 80 trucks with medical supplies and food entered Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The supplies were provided by aid organizations, the Palestinian Authority and private companies. Some 460,000 liters of fuel for the Gaza power station were sent across via the Nahal Oz crossing.

After the lull, firefights and air strikes resumed and two Grad rockets were fired at Be'er Sheva. Hamas fired 25 rockets on Wednesday, significantly fewer than average.

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