The raid left about 1,500 Palestinians homeless in Rafah

GAZA CITY, October 13 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israeli occupation forces pressed on with their raid on southern Gaza Strip, leaving a ninth Palestinian dead for the third straight day late on Sunday, October 12, as the United Nations said more than 1,500 people were left homeless after the large-scale incursion.

Israeli and Palestinian sources were quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying that Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian activist in Khan Younis.

An Israeli military source said the Palestinian was spotted near the Jewish Israeli settlement of Morag along with two others.

"We conducted a search in the morning during which one terrorist was found with explosives near his body," he added.

Israeli settlements are deemed by the International community as illegal since they are constructed on Palestinian territories.

The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine named the dead man in a statement as Samir Al-Bayouk, its leader in the Khan Younis area.

He had been planting a bomb near Morag when he became involved in a gun battle, Israeli military said.

"He exchanged fire with the Israeli occupation forces for one hour," the group statement said.

The clashes came after eight Palestinians, including two children, were killed over two days of a massive Israeli incursion.

Also, two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the city, Palestinian medical sources said.

A four-year-old girl was said to be in critical condition after being hit in the neck by a bullet.

Israeli occupation forces also pushed into the northern West Bank late Sunday, with around 15 tanks and jeeps moving into the town of Kafr Rai just south of Jenin, witnesses said.

The forces converged on five houses in the town and detained 10 people, security sources said.

The latest death raised to 3,536 the number of people killed in the Intifada against the Israeli occupation, which broke out three years ago. They include 2,631 Palestinians and 842 Israelis, according to AFP count.

‘Very Significant Damage’

In the meanwhile, about 1,500 people have been left homeless in Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza as a result of the major ongoing Israeli incursion, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees said.

"We have had very, very significant damage to the refugee camp. This is well more than twice as much as has been destroyed in any other action," Peter Hansen, commissioner general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told reporters here.

Hansen, who was speaking after inspecting the site for himself on Sunday morning, said that his agency had yet to complete a definitive tally of the damage to property in the raid.

He said: "It would appear between 100 and 120 shelters/houses were completely destroyed and completely demolished. These shelters are homes to some 250-300 families.

"If these initial estimates are correct, it will mean we will have some 1,500 persons added to the homeless roll in Rafah which already has some 6,000 people."

Hansen said that UNWRA would be setting up temporary shelters for the homeless but that it was not a long-term solution.

This came a few hours after 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.

‘Disaster Zone’

"We have had very, very significant damage to the refugee camp,” Hansen

Also, the governor of Rafah declared the area a disaster zone, amidst larger scenes of destruction wrought by the Israeli raid.

"We announce Rafah is a city of disaster," said Majid al-Ghal, pointing out that at least 100 houses had been destroyed during the raid.

"They have destroyed the roads, the water supplies, sewage, telephones, electricity."

A local source for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights also said "at least 100 houses" had been destroyed.

Ghal was deeply skeptical the aim of the raid was merely to destroy the tunnels allegedly used to smuggle weapons to Palestinian territories down the borders.

"They want a buffer zone near the border. The subject of tunnels is a false accusation and a lie. Why destroy trees, agricultural land?"

Observers fear the raid will draw backfire from Palestinians furious over the high number of casualties fallen and homes destroyed during the incursion.

Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday that it fired a makeshift Qassam rocket towards the Israeli town of Sderot.

The rocket caused no damage or injuries.