An old man sits beside the remains of the house of Abu Obieda al-Jarah, a senior Hamas leader and deputy police chief in the Gaza Strip, after an Israeli air strike, in Gaza City, on January 9, 2009. [Xinhua]

Smoke caused by Israeli military operations is seen over Gaza City, on January 9, 2009. [Xinhua]

In spite of an Israeli three-hour unilateral cessation of warplane and tank strikes on Gaza Strip, the Israeli army continued on Friday carrying out airstrikes and tank shelling, medics and witnesses said.

Gaza emergency chief Mo'aweya Hassanein told reporters that three Palestinians were killed during the alleged three-hour Israeli unilateral cessation of strikes and shelling.

Israel has announced that it decided to open a three-hour safe passage for Gaza Strip residents everyday to give them the chance to store food, water and fuel. The decision came into effect on Wednesday.

Hassanein said that 29 people were killed and over 70 wounded on Friday, adding that the death toll hit to 790 people killed and more than 3,200 wounded since Israel launched the strikes on December 27.

Meanwhile, Palestinian militant groups, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad continued on Friday attacking Israeli ground forces, who are seizing different positions south of Gaza city and in northern Gaza Strip.

The Islamic Jihad armed wing, Saraya al-Quds, claimed responsibility for launching several homemade rockets at southern Israel and at Israeli army ground forces in northern Gaza Strip.

The group said that among the dead Palestinians on Friday, eight militants of its members were killed in a series of airstrikes and tank shelling on different targets in Gaza Strip.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2009)