Only hours after Caritas Jerusalem left Gaza City Tuesday afternoon, the 8th of April, the Zeitun neighbourhood was bombed by Israeli forces. Israeli Air force helicopters fired missiles against a car with three persons – a frequent used assassination method by the Israeli army. Mu'amen Shaheen, an area officer in UNRWA Gaza Field Office was witnessing the incident: "Two helicopters were hovering at a very high distance, and therefore did not attract much attention," he explains to Caritas Jerusalem. "All of a sudden, two missiles were fired at a car. The three people inside were killed." 

Half an hour later, the helicopters fired another two rockets at the car. "Thousands of people had gathered by then, to see what had happened, and if there was anything they could do", Mu'amen says. Since the area was so crowded, the second strike had severe consequences: "Four Palestinians were killed, among them two children. More than thirty were injured, several seriously" Mu'amen says. He praises his luck that he himself was left unhurt. "I was only 50 meters away from the car, which was then set on fire. I was completely covered with glass from the windows exploding in the surrounding houses."

"A third time, the helicopters fired two missiles, causing another 15 injuries. This time, they finally completely destroyed the car, Mu'amen recalls. He also remembers the price: The death of eight people – one more died from injuries - and about fifty wounded.

The Vocational training Center and one of the Health Clinic of the Near East Council of Churches in Gaza (NECC), which Caritas Jerusalem's Communicator visited same afternoon, is not far from the targeted spot. None of the centers were affected by the missile strike.

The attack Tuesday has again pushed to the circle of violence. Wednesday morning, Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket from Gaza into Israel near the town of Sderot as retaliation for the missile attack. No one was hurt. The Israeli army responded by entering Gaza City again Wednesday. Clashes occurred and four Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli troops, the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reports today. Among them a 16-year-old boy.

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