At least 195 Palestinians were killed with more than 200 wounded across the Gaza Strip on Saturday in massive Israeli air strikes on the Hamas-run enclave. The attack, the most intense since Sabra and Shatila massacre, has been carried out by F-16 and Apache fighters. The military spokesman for the Israeli Army said the operation is still at the beginning, expecting other attacks targeting Hamas leaders. Observers described the operation as the bloodiest in 20 years. The Israeli attack caused heavy damage to buildings and properties. Medical sources said there are scores of dead under the rubble, pointing out that the bombardments focused on Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah. Palestinian Police Chief in the Gaza Strip Tawfiq Jabr was among the dead. Meanwhile, Hamas' Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum asked the Palestinian people to endure and be patient, calling on fighters to reply to the enemy with force. He vowed that the response would be strong. In return, Qassam Brigades frequently fired rockets against Israeli towns killing an Israeli settler. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the aggression while the White House called on Hamas to stop what it called terrorist activities, urging Israel to avoid civilian casualties while targeting Hamas in Gaza. Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said an emergency meeting would be held today or on Monday at most to discuss the situation in Gaza. The Arab Group at the United Nations headed by Libya will call on the UN Security Council to hold a meeting to take action towards the Israeli aggression on Gaza. For its part, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli Ambassador to Cairo Shalom Cohen on Saturday to protest against Israeli raids on Gaza. Egypt opened its Rafah border crossing to the Gaza Strip to absorb and treat some of the injured in the south of the territory. The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit held Hamas responsible for aborting Egypt's efforts to prevent such a strike, saying: "Hamas has launched 60 rockets from the Gaza Strip to Israel the night Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni arrived in Cairo to discuss the escalation in Gaza." In Beirut, hundreds demonstrated in protest against the Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip. The demonstration was staged a stone's throw away from the Egyptian embassy, which was fully protected by dozens of soldiers and policemen. Hezbollah called on the nation to stand firm to stop the attack. Hezbollah condemned the Israeli operation in Gaza, adding that what is going on in the enclave is an Israeli war crime and a genocide.
