The number of Palestinians killed in Beit Hanun in the north of the Gaza Strip on Monday, the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, has risen to seven after an Israeli commando force attacked a family home, reportedly belonging to a leader in the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).

An Israeli commando unit of "musta'ribeen" disguised in Arab clothes opened fire at the house of the Al-Shinbari family in the area of Bayarat Zamo in Beit Hanun, who were in mourning for one of their family members.

'Atta Fouad al-Shinbari, reportedly a PRC leader, and his brothers Muhammad and Ibrahim were killed in the attack. So were Kamal Adnan Al-Shinbari and his brothers Reyad and Khalid Al-Shinbari. A seventh man, Rami Musa Hamdan, was also killed in the Israeli attack.

In addition, some twenty to thirty Palestinians were wounded in the assault. Following the gunfire, the Israeli artillery then began bombing the area, causing confusion and enabling the commando unit of killers to withdraw.

The injured were transferred to hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip. Some reports, however, suggested that the Israeli forces were not allowing ambulances in to collect the injured.

The Israeli forces also broke into the Farahin area of Absan, east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday morning. One Palestinian was killed in this incursion.

The Israeli occupation forces also bombarded the car of a former Palestinian minister, Sufian Abu Ziyadeh, which led to the injury of his brother who was admitted to hospital.

This operation is part of Israel's ongoing and daily aggression on the Gaza Strip that has continued for months. Israel is waging a battle against Gaza that no doubt leaves international observers confused: on one hand Ehud Olmert telephones the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to pass on best wishes for Eid Al-Fitr, and on the other hand, Israel sends in a commando unit to execute this deadly operation, thereby spoiling any remaining joy of the feast.