The Hindu : International : Ehud Olmert clears escalation of strikes

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Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006

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International

Ehud Olmert clears escalation of strikes

Atul Aneja

Incursion may worsen humanitarian crisis

DUBAI: Israel has decided to escalate its military raids inside Gaza after failing to free one of its soldiers who was captured by three militant groups two weeks ago. Israeli officials sources were quoted as saying Prime Minster Ehud Olmert and Defence Minister Amir Peretz had approved deeper military strikes inside Palestinian territory.

Following the decision, the Israeli aircraft demolished another bridge during an early morning raid on Tuesday, and killed one suspected militant. An estimated 50 Palestinians have so far died during the Israeli military offensive into Gaza.

There has been no diplomatic breakthrough so far to resolve the problem surrounding the seizure of Israeli tank gunner, Gilad Shalit. Khaled Meshall, exiled leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was quoted as saying the Israeli soldier would be released only when some of the 9,000 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails were freed. On Monday, Mr. Olmert called Hamas a "terrorist bloody organisation" and said there would be no negotiations with it.

The Israeli incursion is threatening to trigger what is being described as a humanitarian crisis. Residents inside the Palestinian territories are already suffering because of an on-going aid embargo against the Government led by the Hamas. Sections of the Israeli media have been reporting that essential food supplies in Gaza could run out, unless Israel reopened its border crossing for the transit of goods.

Toddler dies

AP reports from Jerusalem:

A 15-month-old Palestinian boy injured in an Israeli missile strike last month has died of his wounds. The toddler died at Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital on Monday, after sustaining severe head wounds in a missile strike in the town of Khan Younis on June 22. The airstrike killed two Palestinians and wounded 13 at the time.

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