Israeli missile strikes kill 23 civilians in Gaza

Palestinians say up to 23 people were killed and 50 wounded when Israeli tanks and helicopters opened fire on a demonstration in Gaza’s Rafah refugee camp.

At least 10 children were killed, Palestinian hospital officials said.

Two children were among the dead, said Palestinian medics.

Witnesses and Palestinian security sources said tanks opened fire with shells and machine-guns and a helicopter fired four missiles.

Wounded were evacuated by ambulance, private cars and donkey carts to the nearby hospital.

An estimated 3,000 people were participating in the demonstration against the Israeli invasion of the nearby Tel Sultan neighbourhood in the camp.

The demonstrators – almost all civilians – were marching from the town of Rafah toward the neighbouring refugee camp when tanks and helicopters fired at least four shells and four missiles, witnesses and Palestinian security officials said.

The Rafah hospital stairs and floors were drenched in blood as doctors shouted for help and blood donations.

Hospital staff treated the wounded on the floors after quickly running out of beds.

Israeli forces invaded the Tel Sultan neighbourhood of the Rafah refugee camp early on Tuesday.

Twenty-four Palestinians were killed during the army’s Operation Rainbow, aimed at hunting down militants and destroying arms-smuggling tunnels.

“We cannot handle the situation, no hospital in the world can handle the situation,” Dr. Moawiya Hassanain, the chief hospital spokesman said.

“I got instruction from President Arafat to mobilise all our teams to Rafah immediately and declare a state of emergency all over Gaza Strip hospitals.”

Hassanain said at least eight people had been killed and 40 were wounded. He added that they have numerous body parts and cannot yet give an exact number of people killed.

Israeli military sources said a helicopter and a tank fired one round each close to the crowd after soldiers felt under threat.

Palestinian witnesses insisted four missiles and four tank shells were fired, and that they also heard machine gun fire from tanks.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said the attack was “a terrorist massacre and a terrorist war crime.”

He said the Palestinians were considering bringing their grievances before an international criminal court.

Dr Moawiya Hassanain, a senior Palestinian Health Ministry official, said at least 10 people were killed and that 13 of the wounded were in grave condition. He said most of the wounded were children.

Associated Press Television News footage showed a large explosion going off in a crowd of demonstrators, followed by Palestinians carrying the injured – among them several children – from the scene.