Hamas warns Israel over tightening blockade on Gaza

Gaza ruling Hamas movement on Thursday warned Israel over tightening its blockade that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007, saying all optioned are opened to resist any tightening of the blockade.

Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, made these remarks in an emailed press statement in response to an earlier Israeli announcement that it will soon build up ground barriers near the fence of the borders with the Gaza Strip.

"The Israeli measure aims at tightening the siege on the Gaza Strip," said Abu Zuhri, adding that "the international community must intervene to stop the Israeli siege measures imposed in the Gaza Strip."

He warned that the options for his movement to confront these measures "are opened."

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'lon announced that the Israeli army will start soon building up ground barriers close to the fence of the borders between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The ground barriers will include digging deep holes and cavities to prevent Palestinians infiltration from the Gaza Strip into Israel for carrying out attacks, according to Israel Public Radio.

• Israel has been imposing a tight blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas movement has violently seized control of the coastal enclave and routed the security forces of secular Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.

Besides the blockade, Israel waged three large-scale offensives on the territory.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian health ministry in the West Bank announced on Thursday that Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian young man called Abdullah Shalaldah in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

The ministry said in an emailed press statement that an Israeli special commando force, which included 21 soldiers, stormed al-Ahli Hospital in the city and killed Shalaldah inside the hospital.

Abdullah Shalaldah was visiting his cousin Azzam Shalaldah at the hospital, said the statement, adding that the soldiers suddenly showed up into the hospital, opened fire at Abdullah and killed him with five gunshots.

Jawad Awwad, the Palestinian health minister said in a press statement that besides killing Abdullah, the soldiers arrested Azzam Shalaldah and another one.

He said that breaking into the hospital "is a dangerous development and a violation to the rights of hospitals."

Since the break out of the current wave of tension between Israel and the Palestinians in early October, at least 80 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army and police, while 12 Israelis were killed in a series of shooting and stabbing attacks.
   Xinhua -globaltimes.cn
  12/11/15
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