Israel committing 'war crimes'

"Israel is committing war crimes by refusing to allow the transfer of the injured to Gaza hospitals," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a press release on Saturday. The spokesman also accused the International Committee of the Red Cross of failing to do its duties toward the injured Palestinians. Israeli army forces have prevented medics from transferring the injured and dead Palestinians in the southern Rafah city, which has been pounded by Israeli forces since Friday, leaving more than 100 people dead. For the past four weeks, Israel has been pounding the Gaza Strip with the stated aim of halting rocket fire, killing at least 1650 and injured nearly 9000 others. Gaza-based resistance factions, meanwhile, have continued to fire rockets at Israeli cities in response to the ongoing Israeli attacks. According to Israeli figures, at least 63 Israeli soldiers have been killed in battles with Palestinian fighters in Gaza and three civilians by rocket fire. A 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip collapsed on Friday after Israel accused Hamas of abducting a soldier in Rafah. The Palestinian movement, however, has denied any role in abducting the Israeli soldier.

By Ola Attalah