Nephew of Hamas chief killed in Israeli air strike in Gaza

The nephew of Hamas movement's top leader in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haneya was killed together with five Palestinians in an Israeli air strike on northern Gaza city on Saturday afternoon, officials said.

Nidal al-Mallash, 22 years old, the son of Haneya's sister was killed together with five other Palestinian young men in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, officials close to Haneya told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Mallash and a group of young men were gathering in a house in northern Gaza city's neighborhood of Sheikh Radwan, and an Israeli missile had suddenly struck them, the source said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the Gaza health ministry told reporters that six Palestinian young men were killed and ten injured in an Israeli air strike on Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza city.

The health ministry in Gaza said in a statement that the death toll of Palestinians since the Israel began air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday rose to 128 killed and 924 wounded.

Meanwhile, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in an emailed press statement that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas intends to send a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon against Israeli air strikes.

"President Abbas will request from Ban Ki-moon an immediate international protection of the Palestinian people from the Israeli violations," said Erekat, adding that the Palestinian side would study the necessary legal measures for asking protection from the UN.