In the Occupied Territories, funerals are being held today for 18 Palestinian civilians killed by Israel’s attack on the Gaza town of Beit Hanun. The victims were sleeping early Wednesday when Israeli artillery shells slammed into their homes. 18 of the victims were members of the same family — most of them women or children. Across the Occupied Territories, thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets in protest. 4,000 turned out in the West Bank city of Hebron. Meanwhile in Israel, a group of demonstrators gathered outside Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office in Tel Aviv.

Unidentified protester: “I am suffering, suffering for the loss of lives, either Israeli or Palestinians . They are human being and they have the right to live. There are no any reason to kill innocent children in their beds while they are sleeping. There is no excuse not the excuse of we didn’t mean too like they say we are sorry. Its not a game its lives.”

Around 350 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s re-invasion of Gaza in June. Israel says it’s trying to stop Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Palestinian rocket fire has led to some injuries but has not caused any casualties inside Israel since June.