MOSCOW, July 20 (RIA Novosti) – The number of victims of the airstrikes carried out by Israeli army on Gaza Strip rises to five, Agence France Presse reported Sunday quoting emergency spokesman Ashraf Qudra.
It was earlier reported about three victims. According to Qudra, the first victim is a 56-year-old man. It remains unclear whether he was killed in an air strike or artillery fire. The next strike that hit the city shortly afterwards claimed the lives of two more people and wounded over 10.
The statement published by the Palestinian health ministry said that the Israeli attacks targeted ambulances evacuating wounded from the east of Gaza City.
The total number of people killed during Israel’s operation that entered its 13th day stands at 346, with more than 2,500 wounded.
Israel launched a military operation in the Gaza Strip targeting the Hamas movement, which controls the region, and its allied groups of Palestinian rebels.
Late July 17, following days of shelling and aerial bombardment the Israeli military switched to a ground invasion aimed at destroying underground tunnels dug by rebels to secretly enter the Israeli territory.
The switch to the ground assault triggered a spike in victims on both sides.
