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February 17, 2008

Israeli Forces Kill at Least 4 Palestinians in Gaza
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B46416:A6F02AD83191E16062E402A6C2E1818721A4E82C900CD027& Health officials
reported the deaths and said at least eight other people were wounded
in Israeli ground raids backed by aircraft Palestinian medical workers
say Israeli forces have killed four people in the Gaza Strip town of
Rafah, as officials announce a new meeting between Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Health officials say three Palestinian militants and one civilian died
Sunday in Israeli ground raids backed by aircraft. At least eight
other people were wounded.

The Israeli military says it was targeting Palestinian gunmen in the
area.

Gaza's ruling Hamas movement also says that a militant wounded in an
Israeli strike last week has died of his wounds.

Israeli army officials said Saturday Palestinian militants fired
several rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip, but caused little
damage.







The body of five-year-old Ayoub, son of Ayman al-Fayed, lies at the
morgue of the al-Aqsa hospital in the Bureij refugee camp, central
Gaza Strip, on 16 Feb. 2008The rocket fire followed the death of a key
Islamic Jihad commander , Ayman al-Fayed, in an explosion Friday in
Gaza.

Islamic Jihad blamed the explosion on an Israeli missile strike, but
the Israeli military denied making any such attack in Gaza Friday. 

The blast destroyed Fayed's home and damaged others in the Bureij
refugee camp near Gaza City.  Seven other Palestinians were killed in
the explosion, including Fayed's wife and two of their children.  At
least 40 other people were wounded. 







French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, left, shakes hands with
Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, Sunday, 17 Feb. 2008

Also today, Palestinian officials said President Abbas and Prime
Minister Olmert plan to meet Tuesday in Jerusalem for their latest set
of peace talks. The two sides restarted the peace effort after a
November peace conference hosted by President Bush. They have set a
target of reaching a peace deal before Mr. Bush leaves office in
January 2009.

And French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner meets today with Israeli
officials, after meeting with President Abbas and Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad in the West Bank town of Ramallah on Saturday. Kouchner said
Saturday that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only way for
Israel to be secure.  Kouchner also said Israel should lift its
blockade on Gaza and allow free movement of people and goods.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




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