Hundreds die in Israel raid on Gaza

Hundreds die in Israel raid on Gaza Residents carry a body out of the Bureij refugee camp [AFP] At least 220 Palestinians, including women and children, 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. Emergency services said that at least 700 people had been wounded. Witnesses reported heavy damage as at least 30 missiles were fired. Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said that the operation would not be short. "The operation will go on and be intensified as long as necessary," he said on Saturday. An Israeli military spokesman added that any "Hamas target is a target". As dusk fell, Israel continued to bomb the strip, firing on a metal foundry in the south. IN VIDEO Hamas "not shaken" 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. Taher al-Noono, a Hamas spokesman, described Israel's operation as a "massacre", adding: "However, our resolve cannot be dented and cannot be shaken. We will continue our struggle with absolute strength and steadfastness." 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. The Hamas-run interior ministry said all security compounds in the Strip had been destroyed. Gaza is densely populated. Its 1.5 million residents area already experiencing shortages in medicine, power and basic supplies due to 18 months of an Israeli blockade. 'War crimes' Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of Fatah, condemned the "aggression" in Gaza. Smoke billowed ...