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More than 100 Palestinians Killed in Gaza on Sunday

(Washington Post) William Booth, Sudarsan Raghavan and Ruth Eglash - More than 100 Palestinians were killed in heavy bombardment and street battles in Gaza on Sunday. Hamas health officials did not say whether the dead were civilians or fighters. Many civilians had remained in the enclave after being warned by Israel to evacuate, because Hamas fighters had ordered them not to leave, effectively employing them as human shields, an Israeli official said. Israel said it went in to the Sejaiya neighborhood in east Gaza because it was the site of frequent rocket launches and concealed a network of tunnels dug by Hamas. When the soldiers entered, Hamas militants were prepared to ambush them, a senior Israeli military official said. Since the Israeli military had warned residents a few days earlier of the impending push, the militants used that information to their advantage. "They knew exactly when and where to wait for us," said the official. The Hamas militants were "highly trained" and "very well equipped," accurately firing light and heavy weapons, including mortars, at the Israeli forces while "setting up a lot of booby traps," he said.
2014-07-21 00:00:00
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