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Palestinian child wounded in an Israeli missile attack on Rafah crowd./AP
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Israeli forces have killed at least 23 Palestinians after firing on a crowd of demonstrators in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Two of the dead are reported to be children.
More than 50 others have been wounded. The death toll has risen to more than 30 since Israel launched a military incursion into the area to destroy weapons smuggling tunnels and arrest or kill Palestinian militants.
Palestinian officials say that the crowd was demonstrating against the Israeli raid, when Israeli forces fired on them with helicopter missiles and tank shells.
About 3,000 protesters were marching from the town of Rafah to the adjacent refugee camp when they came under attack, the officials said.
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Injured being carried away
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Dozens of wounded were taken to Rafah hospital where medical staff is struggling to cope with the influx of patients.
The Israeli Army declined to make any immediate comment.
In earlier statements, Israeli military officials said the incursion is aimed at targeting Palestinian militants and destroying the tunnels they use to smuggle weapons and explosives from neighboring Egypt.
The officials blamed Palestinian militants operating inside Rafah for endangering the civilian population.
VOA News
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