GAZA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian medical rescue teams found on Sunday bodies of 100 Palestinians killed during the last three weeks of the Israeli military air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip, said Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein.
Hassanein told reporters that the bodies were found under the rubbles of destroyed houses, mainly in southern, eastern and northern Gaza City and in northern Gaza Strip towns of Jabalia and Beit Lahia.
The death toll since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Gaza in Dec. 27, has mounted to more than 1300 people killed and over than 5500 wounded, almost half of them were civilians, he said.
According to him, among the dead people, there are 418 children, 110 women, 120 men above 50 years old, 16 paramedics, four journalists, and five foreigners.
Hours after Israeli declared a unilateral cessation of fire, several Palestinian families returned back to their homes they fled during the Israeli military strikes and shelling, said witnesses in Gaza.
They added that hundreds went out to check the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes and tanks shelling that targeted thousands of houses allover the Gaza Strip, while other people went to visit their wounded relatives in hospitals.
Official estimations of destruction in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israeli army forces said that 4000 houses were completely destroyed, while 20 thousand other houses were either badly or partially damaged.
The bodies of 95 Palestinians, including children, have so far been pulled from the rubble in northern Gaza, Palestinian medics say.
The bodies were pulled by rescue teams in the towns of Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya and Zeitoun after Israel declared a halt in its attacks on Gaza.
The exact number of children found in the rubble was not immediately available. Medics believe scores of bodies are still buried under the rubble.
Israel announced on Sunday a unilateral ceasefire after pounding Gaza non-stop for 22 days. This brings to over 1,300 the number of Palestinians killed in the offensive.
The Palestinians fired more rockets into Israel, in response to the continued shelling of Gaza with white phosphorus by Israeli forces on the 23rd day of the conflict.
Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that its aircraft attacked rocket launchers in northern Gaza Strip.
"We carried out a strike against a rocket launching squad in Beit Hanun," said an Israeli military spokesman. "It was the same squad that launched (rockets) into Sderot this morning."
The rocket attacks on Sderot caused damage but no casualties, Israeli media said
Gaza City - A 20-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli troops in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday, becoming the first fatality since Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire in the territory.
Maher Abu Rajila died after being shot in the chest as he was travelling in a vehicle near the town of Khan Yunis, close to the border crossing into Israel, medics said.
News of his death came shortly after emergency services said that 40 bodies had been recovered from rubble in northern Gaza, bringing the overall toll from Israel's 22-day offensive 1 245
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