Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center www.imemc.org, for Tuesday December 23 2008

Two Palestinian girls were killed on Friday when a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists landed short of its Israeli target.

According to witnesses, the girls aged five and 13, were immediately killed after sustaining a direct hit.

Hamas announced that it planned to investigate the incident which occurred in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya.

Earlier, Israel agreed to treat a 35-year-old Palestinian who was also wounded by a rocket fired from Gaza towards Israel.

The man was evacuated to Ichilov Hospital in serious condition after being transferred from a Palestinian ambulance to a Magen David Adom ambulance at the Erez Crossing. The man was wounded in a Kassam attack on Tuesday, and was since then treated in a Gazan hospital before medical officials decided to get him treated in Israel.

Twenty-five mortar shells have been fired into Israel since Thursday night.

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org. This report has been brought to you by Justin Theriault and Husam Qassis

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