Palestinian death toll continues increase in Gaza airstrikes

GAZA, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians death toll has risen to 345 killed and over 1,600 wounded in the on-going Israeli warplanes intensified airstrikes on Monday evening.

Israeli warplanes intensified its airstrikes on more targets, mainly mosques, cars and militants' houses belong to Islamic Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, security sources said.

Mo'aweya Hassanein, chief of emergency in the Palestinian health ministry said that since Saturday morning about 345 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,600 wounded in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.

Israel, on Saturday, launched an unprecedented intensive military operation on the Gaza Strip, focusing on hitting targets from the air and saying the operation would target Hamas movement and all its political and military arms.

Over 305 Israeli airstrikes were carried out on security buildings, mosques, metal workshops, underground tunnels near Gaza-Egypt borders and houses allover the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning.

In the last two airstrikes carried out by Israeli warplanes on northern Gaza Strip on Monday evening, 7 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded, witnesses and security sources in Jabalia area, witnesses said.

They said that Israeli warplanes targeted a car and a house belongs to a militant member of Hamas movement's armed wing al-Qassam Brigades, adding that in the two airstrikes seven people were killed.

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Hassanein said that earlier on Monday, a Palestinian employee works as a guard to one of the schools, run by the United Nations in southern Gaza Strip was killed when Israeli fighting planes hit a nearby house.

He added that 40 percent of those were killed since Saturday are children, adding that "the Israeli warplanes didn't exclude any house or mosque or car and has harshly shelled every target regardless of civilians' lives."