Israeli warplanes attack Gaza again

Israel warplanes have carried out three airstrike on the Gaza Strip, but there is no word yet on any possible casualties.

Two of the air raids targeted the east of Gaza City and the third airstrike hit an area east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has not commented on the attack so far.

Israel has been repeatedly targeting the Gaza Strip since its 22-day war on the enclave launched in late Dec. 2008, which killed over 1,400 Palestinians and inflicted over $1.6 billion in damage.

Israeli warplanes frequently target tunnels connecting Gaza to Egypt saying Palestinian resistance fighters use the tunnels for storing and smuggling weapons.

But the Palestinians dismiss the allegations, arguing they have resorted to the underground tunnels to bring basic needs to the impoverished Gazans because the territory has been sealed by an Israeli blockade for over three years.

Israel has continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than 3 years. The illegal Israeli-imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has been steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the coastal enclave.

Some 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.