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GAZA. — A senior Palestinian health official accused the Israeli army yesterday of using internationally prohibited weapons as the Jewish state’s “Operation Protective Edge” that targets the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip enters the seventh consecutive day.
Deputy health minister Yousef Abu Reesh told a news conference at Shifa Hospital in Gaza that doctors and medical crews have found that the wounds of those killed or injured in the air strikes on Gaza were caused by some internationally forbidden weapons of massive destruction.

“The very high rate of casualties, either killed or wounded due to the Israeli assaults, was a result of missiles fired from war planes, artillery bombs fired from tanks and bombs fired from the sea,” he said, adding that these killing tools usually causes burns and break humans internal bones.

He called on the UN and the international community to immediately form an investigation committee that includes experts to look into the Israeli violations of the international treaties and laws, as well as the Geneva Convention.

Meanwhile, a Norwegian physician, who came to Gaza several days ago also and attended the conference, confirmed that some wounds were due to “destructive weapons that are internationally forbidden to use.”

Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra told reporters yesterday that the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 166, more than two third of whom were civilians, adding that more than 1 000 Palestinians were injured during the last seven days of the offensive. He also said overnight and early yesterday, Israeli war planes intensified its air strikes on all the Gaza Strip.

Tension between Israel and the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip turned bloodier as international contacts were intensified to end the violent escalation, and to reach a truce between Israel and Hamas movement. — Xinhua.