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| Israeli shelling kills 18 in Gaza | Israeli shelling kills 18 in Gaza |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| At least 18 Palestinians have been killed and 40 wounded by Israeli tank fire in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Palestinian sources have said. | At least 18 Palestinians have been killed and 40 wounded by Israeli tank fire in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Palestinian sources have said. |
| Palestinian officials said a barrage of tank shells hit civilian homes, and women and children were among the dead. | |
| Israel has ordered the army to halt artillery attacks in the Gaza Strip and is investigating the incident. | Israel has ordered the army to halt artillery attacks in the Gaza Strip and is investigating the incident. |
| Palestinian leaders have called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to force Israel to stop its operations. | Palestinian leaders have called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to force Israel to stop its operations. |
| The Palestinian prime minister, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, denounced the Israeli attack as an "awful massacre" and said talks on forming Palestinian unity government would be suspended. | The Palestinian prime minister, Hamas's Ismail Haniya, denounced the Israeli attack as an "awful massacre" and said talks on forming Palestinian unity government would be suspended. |
| Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz ordered the halt in artillery attacks and called for an urgent inquiry into the incident. | Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz ordered the halt in artillery attacks and called for an urgent inquiry into the incident. |
| Profile: Gaza Strip Fear and despair in Gaza | Profile: Gaza Strip Fear and despair in Gaza |
| The Israelis withdrew from the town on Tuesday following a major offensive centred in Beit Hanoun in which more than 60 Palestinians were killed. | The Israelis withdrew from the town on Tuesday following a major offensive centred in Beit Hanoun in which more than 60 Palestinians were killed. |
| Israel says the operation was aimed at stopping militant rocket fire into Israel from Gaza. | Israel says the operation was aimed at stopping militant rocket fire into Israel from Gaza. |
| TV footage from Beit Hanoun showed the victims being taken to hospital in their sleeping clothes, some with terrible injuries. | TV footage from Beit Hanoun showed the victims being taken to hospital in their sleeping clothes, some with terrible injuries. |
| "It is the saddest scene and images I have ever seen. We saw legs, we saw heads, we saw hands scattered in the street," 22-year-old eyewitness Attaf Hamad told Reuters news agency. | "It is the saddest scene and images I have ever seen. We saw legs, we saw heads, we saw hands scattered in the street," 22-year-old eyewitness Attaf Hamad told Reuters news agency. |
| "I saw people coming out of a house covered in blood. I started screaming to wake up the neighbours." | "I saw people coming out of a house covered in blood. I started screaming to wake up the neighbours." |
| Retaliation | Retaliation |
| Mr Haniya announced three days of national mourning throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. | Mr Haniya announced three days of national mourning throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. |
| Local Hamas leader Nizar Rayan vowed to launch more rockets at Israel in retaliation. | Local Hamas leader Nizar Rayan vowed to launch more rockets at Israel in retaliation. |
| At a large demonstration in the northern Gaza strip, Mr Rayan said: "We are going to fight against the so-called Israel. We are going to launch our rockets, our martyrs are going to sacrifice their lives in the depths of our occupied land." | At a large demonstration in the northern Gaza strip, Mr Rayan said: "We are going to fight against the so-called Israel. We are going to launch our rockets, our martyrs are going to sacrifice their lives in the depths of our occupied land." |
| Shots have also been fired at the European Union office in Gaza City, Palestinian authorities say. | Shots have also been fired at the European Union office in Gaza City, Palestinian authorities say. |
| Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the building and youths threw stones, Palestinian sources reported, adding no-one was injured in the attack. | Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the building and youths threw stones, Palestinian sources reported, adding no-one was injured in the attack. |
| Earlier, in a separate incident, five Palestinians were reported killed in an Israeli army raid near the West Bank town of Jenin. | Earlier, in a separate incident, five Palestinians were reported killed in an Israeli army raid near the West Bank town of Jenin. |
| The militants were said to be members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. | The militants were said to be members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. |
| The Israeli army said it had found large quantities of arms during a six-day operation throughout Beit Hanoun which ended 24 hours earlier. | The Israeli army said it had found large quantities of arms during a six-day operation throughout Beit Hanoun which ended 24 hours earlier. |
| Militants launched at least four rockets into the Israeli town of Ashkelon from northern Gaza on Tuesday. There were no casualties. | Militants launched at least four rockets into the Israeli town of Ashkelon from northern Gaza on Tuesday. There were no casualties. |