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Israeli troops kill mother and four children in Gaza â€“ CHRONICLE

Israeli troops kill mother and four children in Gaza â€“ <font color=red>CHRONICLE </font>

05 January 2009 11:01 (UTC +04:00)

Doctors said torn to pieces bodies of the children were taken to the hospital and then buried. Israeli tank shelled a residential building killing three children and wounding many civilians. 35 civilians were killed during a ground operation. More than 500 people were killed and 2300 wounded in the operations started ten days ago. A Palestinian family of seven was killed this morning in Beach refugee camp near Gaza City, Palestinian sources reported. The cityâ€™s communication and electric systems were seriously damaged during the operations. 90 percent of the phone communication in Gaza Strip is out of work.

Israeli army command said they held trainings during 18 months before attacking Gaza. The army chief said the trainings were held in decorative city set in Nefev desert.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy blamed HAMAS for suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and urged to reach ceasefire as Israeli troops started the ground operation. â€œWe condemn this operation because it reduces chances for peace. I will remind the Israeli leadership about necessity of conditions it must create for humanitarian assistance to the regionâ€. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said his country didnâ€™t intend to control Gaza Strip again.

Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who took over the EU Presidency from France on January 1, denied claims about his support of Israeli operations in Gaza Strip. Karel Scwarzenbergâ€™s words that â€œIsraeli actions are not an attack, but defenseâ€ were misunderstanding, said in an official statement of the Czech government, which requested not to accept the ministerâ€™s remarks as a support to Israel and emphasized that his remarks were distorted by the media.

Israelâ€™s aggression against Gaza Strip caused mass protests all over the world. The protest actions were held in Greece, France, Switzerland and Mauritania on Monday. Protesters in Athens burned the Israeli flag and threw shoes on US President George Bushâ€™s and President-elect Barack Obamaâ€™s effigies. The protest actions were held in Saloniki as well.