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Israel kills at least 100 Palestinians in one day with air strikes and tank shelling

Electricity board warns of 'humanitarian crisis within hours' as Israeli tanks cripple Gaza's only power plant

At least 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes and tank shelling yesterday, as Israel escalated its military campaign.

The attacks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday of a “prolonged” campaign against Hamas.

Gaza’s sole power plant was forced to shut down after tank shells hit fuel tanks, causing damage that plant workers said would take months to repair.

Even before the shutdown, Gaza residents only had electricity for about three hours a day because fighting had damaged power lines.

“The plant is finished,” said director Mohammed al-Sharif, who added that the local fire brigade was not equipped to extinguish the blaze.

Electricity distribution company spokesman Jamal Dardasawi warned that Gaza would be engulfed in “a humanitarian crisis within hours” if no immediate action was taken to secure power supplies.

“This will affect hospitals and water. All aspects of life are endangered,” Mr Dardasawi said.

Israeli warplanes carried out dozens of attacks across Gaza, levelling the home of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and damaging the offices of its Al-Aqsa TV station, a Gaza City mosque and government offices.

Late on Monday, Israel had warned residents of three large neighbourhoods in north-eastern Gaza to leave their homes and immediate head to Gaza City.

But the warnings were clearly made in bad faith, since those who obeyed them immediately faced air strikes on Gaza City throughout the day.

Flares turned the sky over the city orange overnight and by daybreak heavy clouds of dust obscured the skyline and the city shook with continued Israeli raids.

Late yesterday an offer of a 24-hour humanitarian ceasefire was made by the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo said the offer followed consultations with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

He said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had been in touch with Khaled Mashaal, the top Hamas leader in exile.

But little was expected to come of the offer, since a Hamas spokesman retorted that “the remarks of Mr Abed Rabbo are not true” and Israel, which Hamas insists must guarantee to honour any truce, remained utterly unresponsive.

Gazan officials said the death toll had reached 1,178 and over 6,800 Gazans had been injured.

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