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Israeli strike in gaza kills 2 children { June 20 2006 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000648.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000648.html
Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills 2 Children
By SARAH EL DEEB
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 20, 2006; 1:43 PM
JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip -- Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a car in this Palestinian refugee camp Tuesday, killing two children and wounding nine other people, the military and hospital officials said.
The Israeli military said the car was carrying militants from the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a group affiliated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
Witnesses said the people in the car jumped out before the blast on a narrow street in the Jebaliya camp in northern Gaza.
Among the nine wounded were four children, said Dr. Jumma Fatah of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. He said a 5-year-old boy, Mohammed Roka, and a 7-year-old girl were killed. The dead girl's name was not immediately known.
The front of the car was badly damaged, but the back was intact. Hundreds of angry Palestinians gathered around the vehicle, shouting slogans.
Khalil Roka, a cousin of the dead boy, said he was sitting in front of his car repair shop and children were playing nearby. He said he saw a red flash as the car exploded, and the children were hit.
He said he did not see his boy who was killed. "I was carrying my other cousins to the ambulance," Roka said.
Israel's Channel 2 TV said the raid was "another failed assassination attempt, and again innocent civilians were hit."
An airstrike last week killed eight civilians, in addition to the two militants it targeted. And earlier this month, eight beachgoers were killed in an explosion that Palestinians blamed on Israeli artillery fire. Israel denied involvement in the blast.
About 100,000 Palestinians live in the Jebaliya camp, the largest refugee camp in Gaza. Most of its streets are unpaved, and housing is made up of small, concrete-block buildings. The poverty-stricken camp is home to many militants.
Israel has often targeted Palestinian militants by firing missiles at their cars from aircraft.
© 2006 The Associated Press
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