Special report: Israel launches Gaza assault 

    GAZA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Saturday condemned the veto of the United States representative in the UN Security Council against a decision that condemning the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

    The Israeli army carried out a heavy ground offensive on northern Gaza Strip, called "Autumn Clouds" operation, which lasted for eight days, leaving more than 83 Palestinians dead and over 300 others wounded.

    The worst deadly event in the Israeli offensive was the killing of 18 Palestinians last Wednesday, mostly women and children, in Israeli artillery shelling on the town of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip.

    "The U.S. veto against the UN decision which condemned the Israeli daily massacres against the Palestinian people is for sure encouraging Israel to carry out more aggressions into the Palestinian territories," said the PNA official.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had earlier called on Israel to resume the peace negotiations and end its occupation of the Palestinian territories, and stop Jewish settlements activities in the West Bank.

    Abbas' appeal made in a speech he addressed to mark the two-year anniversary of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat decease.

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    UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Saturday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning an Israeli attack in Gaza that killed 18 Palestinian civilians and urging a quick withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area.

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Funeral held for Beit Hanoun tragedy victims

A Palestinian carries the body of one-and-a-half year old Maram Al-Athamna, after she was killed together with her family by Israeli artillery shell, during her funeral at Beit Hanoun town in the 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. <<Full Story

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