Israel seals Gaza, continues attacks on trapped Palestinian popultion

Three days after killing at least 30 Palestinians in helicopter and tank attacks on the Gaza Strip—and just one week after President George W. Bush met in Israel with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other top officials—Israel on Friday, Jan. 18 ordered all border crossings into Gaza temporarily closed as it continued its deadly attacks on more than 1.5 million Palestinians already denied food, clean water, electricity and medical supplies. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced that the transfer of medicines and humanitarian aid into Gaza now will be allowed “only in exceptional circumstances.”