Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations    

    GAZA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Eighteen Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a daylong of mutual Israeli and Palestinian attacks in several Gaza Strip areas, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

    A local cameraman who works for Reuters Television was killed on Wednesday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on his car in central Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses and medics reported.

Faddel Ouda Shana'a, a local cameraman who works for Reuters Television, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on his car in central Gaza Strip. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Witnesses said that an Israeli artillery shell hit the gray Hyundai jeep of Faddel Ouda Shana'a, with press signs on it, in the neighborhood of Johr el-Deik east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.

    Medics at al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza Strip said that Shana 'a was killed in the shelling and his body was brought to the hospital.

    Meanwhile, 12 Palestinians were killed and 20 wounded on Wednesday afternoon in Israeli strike on the neighborhood of Johrel-Deik east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, medics said.

Local people in Gaza inspect the damaged building bombed by Israeli airstrikes April 16. Eighteen Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a daylong of mutual Israeli and Palestinian attacks in several Gaza Strip areas. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in the Palestinian health ministry told reporters that 12Palestinians were killed and 20 others wounded in an Israeli tanks shelling on al-Bureij refugee camp.

    Palestinian residents said that an Israeli helicopter fired at least four air-to-ground missiles at a mosque and two neighboring houses in Johr el-Deik neighborhood east of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.

    Earlier on Wednesday, several Israeli army tanks, armored vehicles and bulldozers stormed the area. Palestinian militants and Israeli soldiers have been exchanging fire in the area.

Local people in Gaza inspect the damaged building bombed by Israeli airstrikes April 16. Eighteen Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday in a daylong of mutual Israeli and Palestinian attacks in several Gaza Strip areas. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Witnesses at al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza Strip said that the bodies turned into pieces of flesh, adding that the bodies remains were collected and put into plastic bags.

    Hassanein said that among the 12 people that were killed, there are women and children, adding that twenty more people were injured, five of them are in critical conditions.

    Earlier Wednesday, a Palestinian militant was killed and five were injured in two separate Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza Strip. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said that he is one of its militants.

    On Wednesday morning, four Islamic Hamas militants and three Israeli soldiers were killed during an ongoing Israeli ground operations into the area between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel.

Palestinian cameraman killed in Israeli attack on central Gaza

    GAZA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- A local cameraman working for Reuters Television was killed in an Israeli attack on central Gaza Strip on Wednesday afternoon, Palestinian witnesses and medics reported.

    Witnesses said an Israeli artillery shell hit the white armored jeep of Faddel Ouda Shana'a in the neighborhood of Johr el-Deikeast of al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. Full story

Jihad says Israel wants to impose truce by force

    GAZA, April 16 (Xinhua) -- An Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement's spokesman said Wednesday that Israel wants to impose a ceasefire agreement on militant groups by using force.

    Abu Ahmed told reporters in Gaza that "the Zionist entity (Israel) is carrying out intensive military operations in order to force the resistance groups to accept a weak ceasefire agreement." Full story

Three Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza

    JERUSALEM, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Three Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers were killed on Wednesday morning during clashes with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, IDF confirmed to Xinhua. Full story