Seven Palestinians, among them five children, were killed Thursday as Israeli air raids continued to pound several regions in Gaza.
These casualties occurred a short time after the so-called "humanitarian lull" in fighting in Gaza was violated, the lull having been suggested by the UN with the agreement of Palestinian factions and Israel.
Israeli raids today targeted farm areas and empty stretches of land in the cities of Khan Younis and Gaza as well as inhabited areas in these cities, causing the destruction of some houses.
Palestinian factions, on their part, also continued to fire rockets at several Israeli towns, causing at least the injury of one Israeli soldier in the city of Ashkelon which was targeted by 13 Palestinian rockets.
In all Palestinians fired about 60 rockets at Israel today, some having reached as far as the city of Tel Aviv.