Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault 

Mourners pray near bodies of the Palestinians killed by Israeli artillery during their funeral at Beit Hanoun town in northern Gaza Strip , Nov. 9, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery >>>

    BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Amid shouts of pain and anger and calls of revenge, thousands of Palestinians on Thursday buried the bodies of 18 civilians who were killed Wednesday by Israeli artillery shelling in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun.

    The angry Palestinians, from all over the Gaza Strip, traveled to Beit Hanoun to take part in the funeral of the victims, most of whom were members of the al-Athamna family.

    On Wednesday morning, the Israeli army fired several artillery rounds at the town, which hit several buildings and killed 18 civilians, including women and children, and wounded 30 others.

    During the artillery firing, seven children, seven women and two men from the al-Athamna family died when four Israeli artillery shells landed on their four-story house in a period of ten minutes. Two neighbors, from another family, were also killed when they rushed to offer help.

    The dead civilians and the wounded were taken to two hospitals in northern Gaza Strip. Many of the injured are still suffering severe wounds and receiving intensive treatment.

    Before the funeral, thousands of Palestinians gathered at the hospitals and carried the bodies of the killed and put them into ambulances, which drove towards the Hamad Street, which was hit on Wednesday by the Israeli artillery shells.

    Relatives of the al-Athamna family received the dead Palestinians to have a farewell glance at them, then the ambulances moved slowly together with thousands of mourners, including militants who kept firing into the air.

    "The Israelis are becoming Palestinian blood addicts," said Abu Ahmed, one of the militants attending the funeral, adding that " this awful and criminal massacre would never be forgotten without revenge and the Israelis would pay a very heavy price for this crime."

    Dozens of Palestinian officials, including members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)-dominant parliament, leaders of factions and armed wings participated in the funeral.

    Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip Thursday went on the second day of a general strike called by the Palestinian leadership following the deadliest Israeli raid against civilians in decades.

    Palestinian officials said no such number of civilians have been killed in one attack as those who died in Beit Hanoun, a small agricultural town in northern Gaza Strip that has been the scene of six-day long military operation by Israeli troops.

    Flags also flew at half-mast and streets filled up with hundreds of mourners in Gaza City as more funeral ceremonies were held for three more militants killed Wednesday night in Israel's air strikes.

    Along with the funerals, rocket attacks against Israel continued by Palestinian militants.

    Islamic Jihad's armed wing Saraya al-Quds and other Palestinian militant groups claimed responsibility for launching homemade rockets at southern Israel.

    Israeli Radio confirmed that several homemade rockets landed into the Jewish state, but no casualties were reported.

    The Israeli army had recently launched a air and ground offensive against the Gaza Strip, known as Operation Autumn Clouds, with an aim of stemming the homemade rocket attacks from the Palestinian side on Israel.

    Though it announced an end to the operation on Monday, Israeli air raids still continued afterwards, causing big casualties including the Beit Hanoun tragedy.

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