Israeli troops, backed by air support, have killed a total of 11 Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanun since Tuesday, 31 October, 2006. The latest victims are 15 year-old Diab Basiuni and 75 year-old Mahmoud Fayyad, both killed in the early hours of this morning in operation “Autumn Clouds.”

Palestinian witnesses confirmed that Israeli troops raided the town before dawn and engaged Palestinian fighters in fierce ground battles, after which the Israeli air force launched a series of strikes against highly-populated areas. 60 Palestinians have also been inured during the attacks. One Israeli soldier was killed by Palestinian fighters during the operation.

The Israeli cabinet had earlier approved the execution of the military assault during a meeting in Jerusalem, allegedly to increase pressure on Hamas, most notably its military wing Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades.

The Israeli assaults underline the fiercest battles since the capture of Israeli Corporal Gil’ad Shalit last June. 300 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army since June, half of whom are civilians, killed during air shelling and sniper fire in and around the Gaza Strip.

International news agencies have reported that 9 home-made Palestinian rockets have been launched against the Israeli border town of Sderot, north of the Gaza Strip, during the past 24 hours. Palestinian fighters vowed revenge for the attacks, and claimed that there would be more rocket attacks if Israel does not suspend its military assaults against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian hospital sources said that Basiuni was killed by an Israeli sniper in the town of Beit Hanun in the late hours of last night, while Fayyad died of a heart attack when Israeli military helicopters fired missiles near his home, striking a civilian home and inuring 4 members of the same family.

Meanwhile, there have been conflicting reports concerning Israel intentions to re-occupy the depth of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam has reported that Israeli military authorities have already devised a plan to re-occupy the Strip; however, there have been no comments in recent days by any Israeli military or political sources.

The Gaza Strip has sunk into a state of chaos and poverty since Hamas’ election last January, on the one hand, and has been placed under severe Israeli military pressure since Shalit’s capture in June, on the other. Several UN agencies have repeatedly cautioned against the complete collapse of the small, yet-overpopulated, Mediterranean Strip if the socio-economic and security situations are not immediately dealt with and improved.