163 Gazans Killed By Israel Friday

At least 163 Palestinians were killed and 500 others injured by Israeli strikes on different parts of the Gaza Strip throughout Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.



Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qodra said the new fatalities raise to 1603 death toll in the Gaza Strip since Israel started its war on it on July 7.



"A total of 8750 Palestinians were also injured by these Israeli strikes since the war began," al-Qodra told Anadolu Agency.



He added that most of the attacks targeted the southern Gaza Strip City of Rafah where 62 people were killed by Israeli strikes and400 others injured since the beginning of Friday.



Al-Qodra noted that rescue workers had recovered the bodies of 30 people from areas that used to be besieged by the Israeli army.



A 72-hour humanitarian truce that started at 8: 00am (0500 GMT) on Friday proved to be short-lived in the Gaza Strip a short time later when Israel resumed its strikes against Rafah city.



Israel said it breached the ceasefire after one of its army units was attacked in the southern part of Gaza. The Israeli army said later that one of its troops was abducted, while two colleagues were killed.



The truce was mediated by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States Secretary of States John Kerry. Israel and the Palestinians should have sent negotiators to discuss a durable ceasefire in the Egyptian capital Cairo.



Israel's attacks were, however, considered by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas as an attempt by Israel to mislead the world and justify its killing of Palestinian civilians.



The movement did not either deny or confirm the abduction of the Israeli soldier.



By Mustafa Haboosh



englishnews@aa.com.tr



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