A Palestinian was seriously injured as an Israeli helicopter fired missiles during a raid in Gaza City overnight, causing heavy damage to a Christian chapel, a metal workshop and other buildings, Palestinian medical and security sources told AFP.
During the raid, in which eight missiles were fired at the south-eastern Zeitoun district of the city, Abed Nasrallah, 18, sustained serious injuries from shrapnel, medical sources said.
A Christian chapel, situated in the al-Ahli hospital compound, and a large metal workshop were badly damaged, and a five-storey building was destroyed, security sources said.
Several homes in the surrounding area also sustained heavy damage. The building belonged to Masoud Ayad, a former member of the Fatah movement, who was killed several months ago by Israeli forces, the sources said.
Shortly before the raid, Israeli forces moved into the building and arrested five members of the Ayad family, including Masoud's brother, Said, who belongs to the Palestinian intelligence services, they said.
Some 20 Israeli tanks and jeeps moved into the area, backed by a helicopter and a bulldozer, security sources said. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the activity, saying troops were involved in a "counter-terrorism operation" in the area.
"Residents of the building were also involved in terrorist activities and two of them were arrested in the operation," he said, adding troops had found a pistol at the house.
In a separate incident, the Israeli airforce fired "several missiles towards weaponry workshops" in a nearby district, he said.
Ambush
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting attack south of Hebron Thursday evening.
The three troops were critically injured after being shot at from an ambush, south-west of the West Bank city, and later died of their wounds. Initial investigations have indicated that the three were shot from close range. The attackers also took with them the rifles of the dead soldiers.
Following the shooting, Israeli forces started to search for the attackers, who apparently escaped to the nearby village of Yatta, Israeli press reports said.
Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the shooting was retaliation for attacks by Israeli settlers and the military against Palestinians and their property in Hebron.
Later, Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for the ambush. (Albawaba.com)
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