Witnesses: Israeli Missile Strike Destroys Hamas Interior Ministry
By VOA News
18 January 2008
Palestinian witnesses say an Israeli missile strike has destroyed the Hamas Interior Ministry building in Gaza City, part of an Israeli military offensive this week that has killed about 30 people, mostly militants, in Gaza.
The building was empty at the time, but hospital officials say at least 30 people nearby were wounded.
Earlier Friday, Israel closed its border with the Gaza Strip to all traffic, except humanitarian supplies, in response to continuing rocket fire by Palestinian militants from Hamas-controlled Gaza into southern Israel.
Israeli officials say several rockets were fired into Israel Friday, with one landing near a day care center for children in the town of Sderot. Officials say Palestinian militants have fired more than 100 rockets in the past three days.
Palestinian medical sources say an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza early today killed one militant and wounded at least two others.
In a separate operation, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian militant near the West Bank city of Nablus.
The dead militant has been identified as Ahmad Sanakra, a local commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - an armed group linked to the Fatah movement headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
A spokesman for President Abbas says the surge in violence could hamper recently resumed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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