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Israeli military offensive on Gaza continues for 12th day
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 An old Palestinian walks in rubbles at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip Jan. 7, 2009. The Palestinian people living in the Gaza Strip are leading a hard life caused by Israel's continued military attacks on the region since Dec. 27, 2008
 Two Palestinians stand in a house badly damaged in Israeli military attacks, at the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, Jan. 7, 2009. The Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are leading a hard life caused by Israel's continued military attacks on the region since Dec. 17, 2008 An Israeli armored personnel vehicle march towards the south of the Gaza Strip, Jan. 6, 2009. Over 540 Palestinians have been killed and some 2,500 others injured in the Gaza Strip during Israel's Operation Cast Lead starting from Dec. 27, 2008. Israeli army continued military air and ground offensives on Wednesday on the Gaza Strip for the 12th consecutive day, leaving 24 Palestinians dead during the day, medical workers and residents said.
Emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that 24 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday, including ten killed in separate airstrikes and six died of their wounds sustained from Tuesday.
Hassanein added that medical and rescue teams discovered the bodies of eight Palestinians buried under the rubbles in the area of al-Atatra, north of the Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza Strip.
Local residents said Israeli warplanes and tanks continued hitting houses, mosques and open areas in the neighborhoods of Zeitoon and Tufah as well as in northern and southern Gaza Strip.
Thousands of civilians were seen getting into grocery stores, vegetables stores, and supermarkets to buy their needs of food, while Gaza city witnesses a busy movement of traffic during the three-hour cease of fire.
However, they said Israel stopped its offensive for less than three hours which should be from 1:00 p.m.(1100 GMT) to 4:00 p.m.(1400 GMT). Israel resumed its airstrikes at 4:00 p.m.(1400 GMT) on several targets in northern, eastern and southern Gaza Strip.
Local Radio reported that as soon as the three-hour unilateral ceasefire ended, Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Beit Lahia town in northern Gaza Strip and al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.
Residents in Rafah town also said Israeli warplanes resumed intensive airstrikes on the borderline area between southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, adding that dozens of tunnels and houses were destroyed.
Figures of the health ministry said 700 Palestinians were killed since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in Dec. 27, and more than 3000 people were injured.
Source:Xinhua
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