Palestinian girl dies after Israeli shooting - medic

More violence in the Gaza Strip

An 11-year-old Palestinian girl died of her wounds today a day after she was hit by Israeli army gunfire at a United Nations school in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said. Ghadeer Mkheimar was hit by a single bullet to the stomach in the Khan Younis refugee camp yesterday and was pronounced dead at a Gaza hospital after surgeons failed to save her, UN and Palestinian officials said.

An Israeli military source said soldiers had opened fire on Palestinian gunmen who had apparently taken up position near the school after shooting anti-tank missiles at a nearby Jewish settlement and an army position. "The girl was inside the school and when the classroom came under fire, their teacher told them to duck down, but unfortunately, Ghadeer was hit," her uncle, Amin Mkheimar, said tearfully.

Israel's army says it does its utmost to avoid civilian casualties during raids in Palestinian areas but accuses armed Palestinian militants of endangering non-combatants by sheltering in populated areas. A statement from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which administers schools for refugees in Gaza, condemned the shooting as "horrific". - Reuters