Palestinian ministry of health media spokesman, Khalid Radhi, said that the number of Palestinians killed in Thursday's Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip has risen to 24 Palestinians and the number of injured to 82, many of whom are children and many of whom are in a serious and critical condition. The spokesman called for Palestinian citizens to donate blood to treat the injured, and made a special appeal for those of blood type O-. According to Radhi, 12 of the injured are now in ICU (the emergency room) and the condition of 14 others is described as "serious". He also said that 27 of the injured were children.

The spokesman announced the names of the killed and said that two of the bodies are still not identified. He said that the number of Palestinians killed in the north of the Strip was 22, including the unidentified, and two were killed in the south of the Strip.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismael Haniyeh said, during a visit to the injured Palestinians in Al-Shifa'a hospital in Gaza City, that "we are calling for the international community to come and see these crimes; these are crimes against humanity that the Israeli occupation is committing against our people". The PM continued angrily that "there is only one way to solve this crisis, the political and diplomatic way". He added, "What is going on in the Palestinian territories and against the Palestinian people is planned and has specific goals beyond the captured soldier."

Haniyeh, who was accompanied by the health minister Dr. Bassem Naim and a high-ranking Fatah official, also said, "this is an attempt to harm the prestige of the government and the Palestinian Authority. That it is why we called, and are still calling, for the international community, the Arab and Islamic states, and the human rights associations to immediately intervene in order to protect the Palestinian people and to stop this aggression on the Palestinians".

The PM ended by urging the Palestinian people to show patience, courage and steadfastness, and assured them that this is a "hard time for them but it will pass".

Friday.

Palestinians become more and more convinced that they are fighting alone for self-determination with no allies. The least that can be said about the political situation is to depict it as an era of comprehensive ugliness where war is declared against a people just because they accepted democratic elections. Mu'taz Al-Feri, 18, and Shadi Omar, 20, deaf and dumb in Beit Lahia were killed after the Israeli military targeted a crowd of civilians after Friday Prayers.

Two more Palestinians were killed in Beit Lahia Friday afternoon after an Israeli reconnaissance plane targeted a crowd of civilians. The two are: Abdel-Nasser Abu Huwaidi and Abdel-jabbar Al-Husari. A third was severely injured and taken to a hospital.

Tha'er Tumany was killed in Bet Lahia on Friday evening after Israeli army fired automatic weapons into crowds of Palestinians. Three more were injured.

Source: Maan News Agency