Israeli Strikes Kill 10 in Gaza, Israel Orders Investigation
09 June 2006
Palestinian officials say at least 10 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip Friday.
The officials say Israeli gunboats fired at the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip, killing at least six people. At least two of the dead were children.
Two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed four more Palestinians.
The attacks wounded more than 30 people.
Israel's military has ordered a halt to strikes on Gaza while it conducts an investigation.
In Ramallah, on the occupied West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called the strikes genocide and he urged the international community to make Israel stop them.
Israel says it is targeting Palestinian militants who fire rockets from the Gaza Strip at the Jewish state.
The strikes came as thousands of Palestinians gathered in the southern Gaza Strip to bury a high-ranking Palestinian militant - Jamal Abu Samhadana of the Popular Resistance Committees - who was killed in an Israeli airstrike Thursday.
Mourners at the funeral called for revenge. Israel says the militant planned rocket attacks on the Jewish state.
Also Friday, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the militant Islamic group Hamas called on Palestinian President Abbas, from the rival Fatah faction, to abandon a referendum on a statehood plan that recognizes Israel.
Mr. Haniyeh said the referendum will divide Palestinians.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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