Under heavy bombing, Palestinians in Gaza move from place to place, only to discover nowhere is safe
By ISSAM ADWAN
Associated Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are packed into United Nations shelters as Israeli warplanes pound the tiny territory of 2.3 million people after their Hamas militant rulers launched an unprecedented weekend attack on Israel. Israel says it takes pains to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas militant sites. But its military has also bombed multi-story family homes in crowded residential neighborhoods. Palestinians say there is no real escape in Gaza, which has been under a suffocating 16-year blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt. When war breaks out, as it has four times since the Hamas militant group seized power in 2007, even U.N. facilities that are supposed to be safe zones risk becoming engulfed in the fighting.