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A Thai migrant worker arriving at a Be'er Sheva hospital after he was wounded earlier Sat. in a Qassam attack on the western Negev. (Albert Denkberg)
Last update - 23:00 31/05/2008
Two migrant workers wounded in Qassam strike on Negev
By Fadi Eyadat, Yuval Azoulay and Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondents, News Agencies and Haaretz Service
Tags: Gaza Strip, demonstration 

Two migrant workers from Thailand were wounded, one moderately and the other lightly, on Saturday morning when a Qassam rocket hit the western Negev greenhouse in which he was working.

Magen David Adom emergency services personnel evacuated both men to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for treatment.

Earlier in the day, Palestinian militants fired five Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip. No casualties or damage were reported.
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Haim Yelin, head of the Eshkol Regional Council, condemned the government's handling of the ongoing attacks against communities bordering on Gaza.

Addressing the government and Knesset, Yelin fumed: Cease dealing with Olmert's envelopes - because every one of you carries behind your back a massive envelope containing the lack of morals [you exhibit] when you leave residents to face Qassams, mortars and an intolerable security situation."

"Before you preach to Olmert about morality, solve our problem," he added, referring to allegations that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash-filled envelopes by a Jewish American fundraiser.

Also on Saturday, Palestinian officials said the Israel Defense Forces struck a Hamas cell near Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported in the incident, and an IDF spokesperson has yet to confirm the strike.

In a separate incident on Saturday, Gaza officials said an explosion in the house of a Hamas militant has killed the man and wounded 16 of his relatives and neighbors.

The Palestinian Interior Ministry said it was investigating the cause of Saturday's blast at the home of Hamas operative Nader Abu Shaban.

Hamas officials said Abu Shaban was handling explosives when the blast occured. Doctors say two of the 16 wounded are in critical condition.


IDF fires into crowd of Hamas protesters

On Friday, IDF troops used gunfire and tear gas to keep more than 3,000 Hamas supporters from approaching one of the Gaza Strip's main border crossings with Israel, wounding at least six Palestinians, witnesses said.

Palestinian medical workers said at least two of the wounded were in a critical condition.

"The IDF will operate with all its strength to prevent the demonstrators from approaching the security fence or the crossing ... and from entering the state of Israel," an IDF official said.

During the standoff, Israeli forces shot into the crowd to "make the rioters back off," the IDF official said.

Since Hamas took over Gaza last year, Israel has closed all crossings,
allowing only humanitarian aid and Palestinians with urgent medical needs to cross. The demonstration Friday focused on demanding an end to the blockade.

The IDF had posted signs before the protest warning Palestinians that they faced "Danger of Death" if they tried to approach the Sufa crossing, used to bring some humanitarian supplies into the coastal territory.

Hamas has mounted several similar protests in recent months.

Hamas blew open the border with Egypt earlier this year, putting Israel on heightened alert for similar actions.

The demonstrators on Friday burned tires, waved green Hamas flags and chanted "Dismantle the siege."

In a separate incident Friday, Palestinian medical workers said a 65-year-old woman had died of wounds suffered a day earlier during an IDF raid near her home in the southern Gaza Strip.

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  • Thousands rally across Mideast to protest IDF attacks on Gaza
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      1.   Gandhi-style protests obviously are not a threat 17:31  |  KenB 30/05/08
      2.   vigorous response needed where is noise, heat crowd control weapo 17:39  |  ralph 30/05/08
      3.   Why is it that Hamas keep firing mortars at the Sufa area when 17:45  |  Robert 30/05/08
      4.   DID EVERYONE SEE HOW THE GAZA DREGS PUT CHILDREN IN FRONT! 17:49  |  jewish doctor 30/05/08
      5.   THEY WERE WARNED IN ADVANCE!!! 17:51  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/08
      6.   Dismantle the siege 18:27  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/05/08
      7.   I Demand of Commission of Inquiry!! 18:36  |  Erik 30/05/08
      8.   6 wounded out of 3000 18:38  |  Tricia 30/05/08
      9.   Hamas continues its agression and war crimes 18:55  |  Joe Sittizen 30/05/08
      10.   What Are They Protesting About? 19:20  |  Gil 30/05/08
      11.   ANOTHER ISRAELI ATROCITY 19:26  |  JH 30/05/08
      12.   FAR MORE PALESTINIAN VICTIMS OF ISRAELI TERROR 19:29  |  JH 30/05/08
      13.   Purity of arms? 19:30  |  Milo 30/05/08
      14.   the pals should direct the protests at the real problem 19:33  |  jj 30/05/08
      15.   El Q & UNRA will pay U.Is there gambling too ? 19:36  |  30/05/08
      16.   Hamas wanted some dead bodies.... 19:37  |  Malone 30/05/08
      17.   6 Margie - No, It Won`t 19:38  |  Mark of Lewiston 30/05/08
      18.   to #1 19:43  |  jay dog 30/05/08
      19.   Protests brutally repressed 19:47  |  David 30/05/08
      20.   Revolution iranian style 19:55  |  Luther 30/05/08
      21.   Israeli actions are disgusting to civilized people 19:59  |  Jerry 30/05/08
      22.   KenB, from your vantage point in Chicago even if on top of the JH 20:06  |  Pervert 30/05/08
      23.   Hamass using HUMAN AMMO/human misery, as long as cameras roll 20:08  |  dav zee 30/05/08
      24.   #13..Milo 20:12  |  Malone 30/05/08
      25.   Of course the IDF will shoot unarmed Pals 20:13  |  Yep 30/05/08
      26.   Hamas is showing signs of desperation 20:14  |  Jewboy 30/05/08
      27.   #11 JH More Palestinian Provocations 20:16  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/08
      28.   Imagine If The US Or British Armies Fired Into Peace Ptotesters 20:18  |  chet 30/05/08
      29.   #12 JH - You still don`t get it and never will-- 20:18  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/08
      30.   #1 KenB - Did Gandhi shoot rockets at the Brits? 20:19  |  Freethinker 30/05/08
      31.   #13 Milo 20:20  |  * BEN JABO 30/05/08
      32.   milo#13 20:22  |  Boris 30/05/08
      33.   Mark of Lewiston 20:26  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 30/05/08
      34.   Blinded by hate 20:28  |  El-Birawi 30/05/08
      35.   only six? kill hundreds, even thousands. 20:43  |  frenz 30/05/08
      36.   #16 Malone 20:47  |  Boycott 30/05/08
      37.   #34...birawi 20:52  |  Malone 30/05/08
      38.   Thank you Tsahal for stopping a repeat of Egypt border breakthru 20:54  |  Alan SA 30/05/08
      39.   This is all a propaganda 20:56  |  John 30/05/08
      40.   idf fires into crowd of hamas protsters 20:59  |  tsfat artist 30/05/08
      41.   SHOOT ON SIGHT 21:02  |  Jeffrey 30/05/08
      42.   Israel`s German response 21:02  |  KS 30/05/08
      43.   Easy to do...... 21:02  |  William 30/05/08
      44.   Great post frenz 21:03  |  Jeffrey 30/05/08
      45.   #34 El Birawi 21:10  |  H 30/05/08
      46.   #12, JH, you are the only scum here! 21:10  |  DR 30/05/08
      47.   respond to el-birawi 21:11  |  Tal 30/05/08
      48.   BLESSED ART THOU THE L-RD WHO COMMANDED US TO KILL AMALEK!!! 21:12  |  Rabbi Kaduri 30/05/08
      49.   English talkbacks should be banned cause British Academia is here 21:20  |  Israeli 30/05/08
      50.   #34 birawi 21:20  |  Malone 30/05/08
      51.   #32 21:21  |  Milo 30/05/08
      52.   too bad so few were hit! 21:21  |  nadia 30/05/08
      53.   #34, blinded by ignorance! 21:27  |  DR 30/05/08
      54.   Operating against terrorists. 21:27  |  Jean Van Daem 30/05/08
      55.   #1 21:30  |  Jane 30/05/08
      56.   #35 frenz: What else could be expected from an idiot? 21:31  |  human rights 30/05/08
      57.   All people know... 21:33  |  Jeffrey 30/05/08
      58.   El Birawi 21:35  |  Christina 30/05/08
      59.   IDF out of control 21:39  |  Milo 30/05/08
      60.   KenB: self-righteous fool; ghandi wanted to destroy GB? 21:41  |  dante 30/05/08
      61.   #13 21:43  |  Jane 30/05/08
      62.   El Birawi 21:45  |  Jane 30/05/08
      63.   Israel is hopeless at PR 21:46  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/05/08
      64.   Frenz you do not get it 21:47  |  Dave Duncan 30/05/08
      65.   Warning notices had been posted 21:47  |  KenB 30/05/08
      66.   El Birawi - cut it out already (end) 21:52  |  ChanahS 30/05/08
      67.   TERRORISTS MUST BE RECEIVED WITH BULLETS. ONLY THAT 21:53  |  DISRAELI 30/05/08
      68.   #10 What Are They Protesting About 21:59  |  KenB 30/05/08
      69.   The IDF prove daily what cowards they are.... 22:03  |  Deborah 30/05/08
      70.   #30 Freethinker: Did Ghandi do targeted assassinations? 22:03  |  Jerry 30/05/08