Israeli tanks take positions in Rafah refugee camp

GAZA CITY, October 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Despite strong criticism from the U.N. for its killing of seven Palestinians, the Israeli occupation army pressed Saturday, October 11, with its deadly raid on the Gaza Strip town of Rafah for the second straight day killing a 19-year-old Palestinian.

Zaki Sharif was hit by a bullet in the chest on the second day of a massive Israeli army operation in Rafah, Palestinian security sources said.

"This operation is continuing and will continue for as long as necessary," an Israeli military source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

On Friday, October 10, a 20-year-old Palestinian youth, Atwa Abu Mohsen, was shot dead by Israeli troops in the southern town, rising to seven the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the Israeli massive incursion, including two children.

Until now, a total of 56 Palestinians have been injured in the raid, 18 of them seriously, according to an AFP count.

The Israeli army claimed that the raid was aimed at uncovering tunnels used for smuggling weapons across the border, as a military source purported a third tunnel was found on Saturday morning after the discovery of two the previous day.

At least 3,535 people have been killed since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada against the Israeli occupation, including 2,630 Palestinians and 842 Israelis, according to an AFP account.

U.N. Criticism

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians in the Israeli raid, saying the disproportionate use of force in densely populated areas violates international law.

"The secretary-general deplores the killing of Palestinian civilians during the Israeli incursion into Rafah in the Gaza Strip," said a statement issued by Annan’s spokeswoman Friday.

Annan "deplores the killing of Palestinian civilians during the Israeli incursion into Rafah in the Gaza Strip"

"Not for the first time, the Secretary-General reminds Israel that the disproportionate use of force in densely populated areas is not compatible with international humanitarian law," the statement added.

"The Secretary-General calls again on both sides to take every measure to avoid harming innocent civilians."

The U.N. diatribe came as the Security Council is preparing to hold an open session on Israel's construction of a separation wall, which snakes through the Palestinian West Bank, AFP said.

The decision came in a closed-door consultation on the issue Friday following Syria's submission of a draft resolution condemning the wall on behalf of Arab member nations.

A U.S. State Department spokesman Friday hinted that Washington would oppose the resolution, despite Washington's own objections to the wall.

The proposed resolution stipulates that "the construction by Israel, the occupying power, of a wall in the occupied territories is illegal under relevant provisions of international law and must be ceased and reversed," according to the text.

A U.N. report underlined last month that the wall marked illegal annexation of Palestinian territory and must be condemned by the world community.

The defiant Israeli government of Ariel Sharon approved October the 100-million-dollar second phase of the controversial wall.