Israel kills 28 Palestinians in refugee camp raids

The Israeli army has killed at least 28 Palestinians after raiding refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza Strip throughout the day.

At least 18 Palestinians were killed and 75 wounded when Israel invaded the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza.

Israel used tanks and helicopters to bomb the electricity supply in the camp, which is home to more than 100,000 people. Hundreds of gunmen returned fire at the Israeli forces before they withdrew.

A spokesman said the military was hunting for rockets, weapons factories and suspected 'terrorists'.

Many civilians fled the fighting today and one witness, 38-year-old Laila Ayoub, said helicopter gunships fired at people as they fled.

Five other Palestinians were also killed today when Israel attacked the Khan Younis refugee camp near Gaza City, while another five were killed during fierce gunbattles in Ramallah and the adjacent Amari refugee camp in the West Bank.

Ahead of the operations, Israeli soldiers announced over loudspeakers that all men and boys between the ages of 16 and 40 must surrender to the Israeli army.

Local television stations urged the men not to comply. A spokesman for the Israeli Government insisted that it is showing restraint towards the Palestinians, despite the fact that today’s incursions were the largest Israeli ground attack since the 1982 war with Lebanon.

So far this month, 159 Palestinians and 58 Israelis have been killed, making it the bloodiest two weeks of the 18-mont-old Palestinian intefadeh.