131 Israeli Soldiers Killed İn Gaza Ground Assault: Qassam

The Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, have claimed to have killed 131 Israeli soldiers since the start of Israel's ground assault on the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.



In a Thursday statement, the Brigades said that its fighters had killed 131 Israeli troops since the start of military operations in the Gaza Strip on July 17.



Hamas' military wing earlier said that its fighters had killed three Israeli soldiers during battles in al-Tofah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City.



Meanwhile, the Qassam Brigades said that its fighters also fired 146 rockets at Israeli cities on Thursday.



Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip – home to 1.8 million people – for nearly four weeks with fierce aerial, naval and ground assaults with the ostensible aim of halting rocket fire from the strip.



On July 17, Israel expanded the offensive to include ground operations, sending thousands of troops into the Palestinian territory.



At least 1440 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed and more than 8000 others injured in relentless Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.



Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rocket at Israeli cities in response to relentless Israeli bombardments.



According to official Israeli figures, 56 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed since the hostilities began.



Israel's military offensive, dubbed operation "Protective Edge," is the self-proclaimed Jewish state's third major offensive against the densely-populate Gaza Strip – which is home to some 1.8 million Palestinians – within the last six years.



In 2008/9, over 1500 Palestinians were killed in Israel's three-week-long operation "Cast Lead."



By Mustafa Haboosh



englishnews@aa.com.tr



ww.aa.com.tr/en - Gazze