Israeli soldiers, armed men clash south of Gaza

GAZA CITY 

Violent clashes broke out early on Thursday between armed men and Israeli soldiers inside Israel's border east of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses said the clashes, which erupted close to an Israeli military zone, continue to rage in the area.

They added that Israeli tanks, helicopters and warplanes take part in the battle by shelling the place of the armed men.

Israeli surveillance planes also intensively hover over the area, the eyewitnesses said.

They noted that Israeli tanks and warplanes had fired more than 30 missiles on the armed men.

Successive explosions continue to be heard from the clashes, but no reports of casualties on either side have been made yet.

Gaza has been pounded by Israel from land, air and sea for nine days now since Israel started its "Operation Protective Edge" offensive with the aim of debilitating the military capabilities of its resistance factions.

However, instead of incapacitating the resistance factions, Israeli planes, warships and tanks have left a tragic human toll behind in Gaza, producing an Arab outcry.

Gaza-based resistance factions have met the Israeli attacks with barrages of rocket attacks, some of them have struck at the heart of the Israeli capital Tel Aviv and some other northern cities, sending fear down the spines of almost everybody in the self-proclaimed Jewish state.

On Wednesday, the Health Ministry released a list containing the identities of the dead victims of the Israeli offensive on Gaza so far.

The dead victims included 47 children, 27 women and 15 elderly Gazans, according to the list of the Health Ministry.

Around 600 housing blocks were turned to rubble in Gaza since July 7, while around 1494 housing blocks were partially destroyed, according to an initial survey by the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works.

By Mustafa Haboosh

http://www.aa.com.tr/en