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35 Bodies Found In Gaza Battle Zone

A Palestinian health official says the bodies of 35 people have been found in the rubble of a Gaza Strip battle zone.

Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Palestinian Health Ministry says the bodies were discovered Thursday during a three-hour lull in fighting. Israel agreed to the lull to allow aid shipments into Gaza.

Hassanain says the bodies were discovered in several areas around Gaza City that have experienced heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas militants in recent days.

He says it's not clear how many militants were killed because the remains were in poor condition. But he says women and children were among the dead.

Hassanain says close to 750 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's 13-day offensive.

In related news:

  • The Hamas leadership rejected on Thursday an Egyptian truce plan for the Gaza Strip saying it lacked the "valid basis" that would secure Israel's pull out of the Gaza, reopening all border crossings and lifting the blockade against the Palestinians.
  • Lebanese militants fired at least three rockets into northern Israel early Thursday, threatening to open a second front for the Jewish state as it pushed forward with its offensive in the Gaza Strip. Gaza militants fired a rocket barrage into southern Israel almost simultaneously. CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports that a Palestinian splinter group is suspected of being behind the rocket fire. The group is not directly linked to Hezbollah and was believed to have been acting independently. The rockets used in the attack were older and not typical of Hezbollah's arsenal, added Berger.
  • The United Nations says it is halting all aid deliveries to the besieged Gaza Strip. It is citing a series of Israeli attacks on U.N. staff and installations, including a driver who was allegedly killed by Israeli fire.
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