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A Palestinian woman inspecting her destroyed bedroom after an IAF strike on Gaza (Reuters)
Last update - 11:39 29/02/2008
IDF kills 20 Palestinians, including 6 children, in Gaza and West Bank
By Haaretz Staff and News Agencies
Tags: IDF, Gaza, Israel, Hamas

At least 18 Palestinians, including five boys under the age of 16 and a 6-month-old baby, were killed in the Gaza Strip and two in the West Bank on Thursday during fighting with Israeli forces. Meanwhile, militants in Gaza continued to fire rockets at southern Israel, striking as far north as Ashkelon.

The targets of Thursday's air strikes included a police roadblock 150 meters from the Gaza City home of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, in what appeared to be a message to Hamas.

The deaths come a day after IDF troops killed 12 Palestinians in Gaza fighting and an Israeli college student was killed in a Qassam rocket strike outside Sderot. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vowed that Israel's response to the deadly barrage of Qassam rockets would be particularly harsh.
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In the West Bank, IDF troops conducting arrests of terror suspects shot and killed a militant from the PRC and a member of the Fatah-linked Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in the Balata refugee camp, on the outskirts of Nablus.

Palestinian officials said one person was killed and four others were wounded in the attack near Haniyeh's home, which took place a day after the IAF targeted Haniyeh's empty office. Haniyeh - who has been in hiding for several weeks, fearing Israeli assassination - was not believed to be in the area. Israel has threatened to begin targeting Hamas leaders because of the ongoing rocket fire from Gaza.

Four Palestinians were killed in separate IAF attacks on an electric company vehicle in Khan Yunis that Israel said was carrying militants, and a truck said to be carrying canned beverages. The men who were pulled out of the charred vehicle were wearing military-style uniform, witnesses said, and the Israel Defense Forces said the truck was laden with rockets ready for launching.

Five children - all under the age of 16 and three from the same family - were killed in an IAF strike in Jabalya, a refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. Witnesses said the children were playing soccer when the missile struck.

At least five Hamas militants, including the son of a senior Hamas lawmaker, Khalil al-Haya, and two PRC militants were killed in several attacks in northern Gaza and Gaza City. Al-Haya is one of Hamas' top figures in Gaza, and has himself escaped assassination attempts, including an IAF strike that killed his brother last year. Hamas said his son had commanded a rocket-launching squad in northern Gaza.

Visiting the morgue at Gaza City's Shifa hospital Thursday, al-Haya said he was proud that his son had lost his life for the Hamas cause, like many of his relatives.

"I thank God for this gift, he said. This is the 10th member of my family to receive the honor of martyrdom."

Overnight, IAF jets blasted a government building in Gaza. Palestinian health officials said a 6-month-old baby was killed in the attack, and 30 people were wounded.

Witnesses said the building was empty. The IDF said all targets that were attacked were centers of terrorist activity.

Palestinian militants fired some 30 Qassam rockets at southern Israel on Thursday, lightly wounding two people. Militants also launched 11 Grad rockets at Ashkelon, one of which scored a direct hit on a home in the port town. Several people were treated for shock.

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      1.   Damned good intelligence 04:08  |  * BEN JABO 28/02/08
      2.   Kill ratio 05:40  |  Alton 28/02/08
      3.   What happened to the story of the baby? 05:49  |  idf_sergeant 28/02/08
      4.   Impressive 06:49  |  Adrian de KLerk 28/02/08
      5.   *BEN JABO_ Ahlan. I Wish The Brothers Could Also Tell Us Where 07:27  |  Eli 28/02/08
      6.   To deal with terrorist, the Program must be removed. 08:00  |  The Archives 28/02/08
      7.   They should be realistic. 08:18  |  Jean Van Daem 28/02/08
      8.   #3 Bravo indeed for killing children and babies 08:18  |  TQ 28/02/08
      9.   Dealing with terrorists 08:37  |  Edifice 28/02/08
      10.   #1, Ben Jabo... 08:52  |  Silvienne 28/02/08
      11.   #3, Adrian de Klerk.."impressive", three children dead? 08:53  |  Silvienne 28/02/08
      12.   IDF kills sixmilitants during operations in W. Bank and Gaza 08:57  |  gareth 28/02/08
      13.   Palestinian report 09:33  |  MR 28/02/08
      14.   IDF Sergeant. 6th month old baby killed by Israeli shrapnel. 09:43  |  Maureen Ann 28/02/08
      15.   MAUREWENnthe baby was not the target,unlike your side 09:57  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
      16.   IS THIS NATION LOVED BY OTHERS EVER ? 10:17  |  ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU 28/02/08
      17.   to # 2 idf_sergeant the baby has 10:21  |  Steve the Pals. 28/02/08
      18.   Hamas dòesn`t care about dead babies 10:34  |  American Christian 28/02/08
      19.   facts 10:35  |  funkyyaya 28/02/08
      20.   Atila, stop screaming! afff!@ 10:40  |  leila perez 28/02/08
      21.   BOOMMM... 10:43  |  indrajaya 28/02/08
      22.   Alton - learn some math 10:54  |  Suzanne 28/02/08
      23.   TQ.How many Israeli babies have Pals deliberately tried to kill 10:59  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
      24.   Israel a nation of baby killers 11:00  |  Paul Wood 28/02/08
      25.   ATILLA 11:14  |  JW 28/02/08
      26.   kill on regardless.... 11:14  |  ravi 28/02/08
      27.   re: kill ratio 11:27  |  jacob 28/02/08
      28.   #2 ALTON; Hamas has stored ammunition among civilian population 11:35  |  AliciaYasmeen 28/02/08
      29.   RAVI"kill on --` Exactly what Islamists are doing worldwide 11:43  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
      30.   Ravi - what occupation? Go learn history!!!!! 11:46  |  Suzanne 28/02/08
      31.   OCCUPATION, OCCUPATION, OCCUPATION = COLLECTION OF HUGE BS!!!! 11:47  |  Suzanne 28/02/08
      32.   COMPROMISE, COMPROMISE, COMPROMISE is the solution!!! 11:49  |  Suzanne 28/02/08
      33.   Peace Begats Peace 11:51  |  Standing With Israel 28/02/08
      34.   reply to Alton 11:55  |  Daniela 28/02/08
      35.   The forcast for sederot: heavymetal rain 12:01  |  Nabulsi 28/02/08
      36.   No. 31, ravi 12:06  |  American Christian 28/02/08
      37.   ravi from punjab 12:16  |  danny 28/02/08
      38.   #2 alton 12:19  |  danny AUSTRALIA 28/02/08
      39.   Peter #33 12:22  |  readNBtween lines 28/02/08
      40.   kill ratio 12:26  |  iletzter 28/02/08
      41.   Congratulations for killing Terrorist BABIES ! 12:32  |  Gazan 28/02/08
      42.   47... danny from down under 12:41  |  ravi 28/02/08
      43.   READ BETWEEN THE LINES.Don`t deny.Pals TARGET Israeli children 12:46  |  PETER SM 28/02/08
      44.   Dichter 12:51  |  Alucard 28/02/08
      45.   More lies from "peter sm" 12:53  |  Bon Levi 28/02/08
      46.   To 45 - Nabulsi 12:55  |  American Christian 28/02/08
      47.   #14 Atilla 12:59  |  MR 28/02/08
      48.   #17 Atilla 13:01  |  MR 28/02/08
      49.   #19 Atilla 13:02  |  MR 28/02/08
      50.   #20 13:04  |  MR 28/02/08
      51.   Maureen Ann 13:25  |  pal 28/02/08
      52.   distorted news by Haaretz 13:29  |  neutral witness 28/02/08
      53.   PALS USE BABIES FOR SUICIDE BOMBERS 13:31  |  petra 28/02/08
      54.   TQ 8 13:31  |  ChanahS 28/02/08
      55.   Read #31 for the comment of a real imbecile 13:34  |  Murray of Montreal 28/02/08
      56.   To Suzanne:Ravi knows history but not your lies 13:40  |  pal 28/02/08
      57.   readNBtween lines 49 13:48  |  ChanahS 28/02/08
      58.   Lies and truth 13:49  |  Dav 28/02/08
      59.   Truth, undercover corce kill 13:52  |  Dav 28/02/08
      60.   Condolences to the families 13:55  |  Lynn 28/02/08
      61.   #36 Ravi- The high ratio between Israeli and Palestinian killed 13:56  |  Rafi 28/02/08
      62.   Wow you people are pathetic 13:57  |  Yonni 28/02/08
      63.   To Suzanne- Learning about history 13:59  |  Amazed 28/02/08
      64.   Hamas lawmaker - contradiction in terms 14:00  |  Steve 28/02/08
      65.   to Suzanne 14:00  |  AAA 28/02/08
      66.   For Nabulsi # 45 14:11  |  A Jew 28/02/08
      67.   #3 ISRAE GOVERNMENT`S FAILURE 14:12  |  Ian 28/02/08
      68.   #2 Alton 14:13  |  Baruch 28/02/08
      69.   # 7 14:22  |  Jim 28/02/08
      70.   ATILLA # All your postoings ..... 14:28  |  Penny 28/02/08
      71.   Seriously, Attila 14:30