Death toll at least 345 as Israel's Gaza assault in third day

GAZA, Dec 29 - Israeli aircraft destroyed a bastion of Hamas's rule over the Gaza Strip on Monday, the third day of an offensive that has killed more than 300 Palestinians in the deadliest violence in the territory in decades.Palestinian medical sources say at least 345 Gazans have been killed and another 1,450 wounded in three consecutive days of Israeli bombardment in the heavily-populated territory.

Israeli warplanes struck by air-to-ground rockets early on Monday several buildings into the Islamic University of Gaza, witnesses and security source

Gaza - Israeli war jets struck shortly after midnight a building in the Islamic University of Gaza. Residents in Remal neighborhood in western Gaza City said they heard four huge explosions early Monday that wrecked the whole area, adding that white and gray pillars of smoke were seen coming out of the building.

Israeli drones and F16 warplanes hovered over Gaza City. The buzz of the drones was heard shortly before the four airstrikes were carried out.

A building at the female campus in the Islamic University compound that include chemical labs was completely destroyed, sources said.

Shortly before midnight, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed and four were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, medics and witnesses said.

US blames Hamas 'thugs' for deaths

The White House has said that Hamas "thugs" were responsible for provoking the Israeli air raids that killed and injured hundreds of people in the Gaza Strip.

Gordon Johndroe, the Bush administration spokesman, said Israel must try to avoid civilian casualties, but laid the blame for deaths on the Palestinian groups that controls the impoverished territory.

Strongly condemn

The United States is deeply concerned about the escalating violence in Gaza.
We strongly condemn the repeated rocket and mortar attacks against Israel
and hold Hamas responsible for breaking the ceasefire and for the renewal of
violence there.

Bloodiest Day for Palestinians in 20 Years

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Israel's air offensive against militant sites in Gaza "will widen as necessary."

Barak says Israel does not intend to allow Islamic Hamas militants who rule Gaza to continue firing rockets and mortars on Israel's southern communities.

Barak says there is a time for calm and a time for fighting. Speaking at a news conference Saturday, he said "now is the time for fighting" and that "the operation will expand as necessary."

Asked if Hamas political leaders might be targeted next, military spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich said, "Any Hamas target is a target."

Israeli aircraft launch air attacks across Gaza, causing many deaths and injuries,

Israel has launched air strikes on Hamas installations in Gaza City, causing heavy damage, according to witnesses.

At least 30 missiles were fired at targets on Saturday.

The simultaneous strikes were described as "massive" by the AFP news agency.

There was no immediate comment from Israel.

However, it follows the decision by the Israeli security cabinet to increase reprisals for cross-border rocket attacks against Israel, and the breakdown of a six-month-old Israel-Hamas truce earlier this month.

Several Hamas police compounds were said to have been hit.

Initial reports suggested that there were at least 50 casualties.

Palestinian sources say Israeli missiles targeted security compounds belonging to the militant group Hamas, which controls the territory.

A truce between Israel and Palestinian militants expired last week.

There was no immediate word on the explosions from the Israeli military.
At least 155 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli aerial bombardment on Hamas security installations.

Israel launched air attacks across the besieged Gaza Strip on Saturday, threatening that further operations would be carried out later in the day.

Witnesses reported heavy damage as at least 30 missiles were fired on the targets.

Emergency services said that at least 200 people were also wounded.

Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, condemned the attack and demanded an immediate cessation.

Hours after the Israeli assault, Gaza fighters fired home-made rockets into southern Israel, heeding calls by Hamas and other affiliated Palestinian groups to avenge the attacks, unprecedented in their scale.

One Israeli was killed in the rocket fire, medics said.

Islam Shahwan, a Hamas police spokesman, said a police graduation ceremony in Gaza City was struck by Israel. Among those killed was Tawfiq Jabber, the Gaza chief of police.

'War crimes'

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of Fatah, condemned the "aggression" in Gaza.

Mousa Abu Morzouz, the deputy leader of Hamas, told Al Jazeera: "Until now the aggression didn't stop ... they are targeting all the police headquarters and offices.

"We will defend our people, we will retaliate against this aggression ... our military will retaliate."

Morzouz called on the world's most powerful nations to condemn the attacks: "Nobody in this world can accept what happened and the Israeli aggression ... [we expect] the international community to stand against this and say that it is not acceptable."

Mustafa Barghouthi, the former Palestinian information minister, said: "This is not an attack on the Hamas. It is an attack on the whole population and the free will of the people of Gaza."

He accused Israel of committing "war crimes" and demanded that Abbas and his government stop all relations with Israel.

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