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Foreign activists form human shields to protect Gaza hospital

Israeli aircraft fired four missiles at the hospital in the early hours of Friday and then targeted it hours later, completely destroying its fourth floor

12.07.2014 - Update : 12.07.2014
Foreign activists form human shields to protect Gaza hospital

GAZA CITY 

Foreign solidarity activists are acting as human shields to protect a hospital in eastern Gaza City after it had been targeted twice by Israeli airstrikes.

"Eight European and American activists have formed human shields to protect the hospital against more Israeli attacks and allow it to continue serving Palestinian elders," Basman al-Ashi, the executive director of El-Wafa Medical Rehabilitation Hospital, told Anadolu Agency.

He said the solidarity activists come from the U.S., France, Britain, Sweden and Spain.

Al-Ashi said the medical facility, Gaza's only rehabilitation hospital, currently serves 30 patients, all Palestinian elders.

Israeli aircraft had fired four missiles at the hospital in the early hours of Friday and then targeted it hours later, completely destroying its fourth floor.

At least 111 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since late Monday.

More than 815 Palestinians have also been wounded in the aerial attacks.

Israel has launched a military offensive – dubbed "Operation Protective Edge" – with the stated aim of staunching rocket fire from Gaza.

It has continued to pound the territory with airstrikes, while ground troops remain massed on the Gaza Strip's borders in advance of a possible ground assault.

Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets into Israel in response to the unrelenting airstrikes.

They have fired more than 600 rockets since Monday, according to security sources.

By Mustafa Haboosh

www.aa.com.tr/en 

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