At least 12 Palestinians have died overnight in what may be the largest Israeli offensive in Gaza in years. Thousands of Palestinians fled Rafah Monday before Israel sealed off the city cutting it off from the rest of Gaza. Israeli gunships bombed targets in the city of 90,000 overnight including the Tel Sultan mosque. Palestinian sources have told the Associated Press Israeli snipers also shot at two ambulances. Last week Israel demolished over 100 homes in Rafah leaving 1,000 Palestinian homeless and the army has threatened to demolish hundreds of more homes. Amnesty International called on Israel today to immediately stop the home demolitions which have left tens of thousands of Palestinians homeless over the past three years. Israel claims the attack in Rafah is justified and needed to secure the Gaza-Egyptian border where they say weapons are being smuggled through underground tunnels. Last week 6 Israeli soldiers were killed in Rafah, a day after 7 were killed in Gaza City.