Five school children from the Astal family died yesterday and two other citizens from the same family were injured in an explosion of an Israeli tank rocket in the area of the children school in Western Rabwat region in Khan Yunis. The five martyrs are Mohammed Na'im Astal, 13; Akram Naim Astal, 6; Omar Idrees Mohammed Astal, 12; Anis Idrees Mohammed Astal, 10; Mohammed Sultan Astal, 11. Eyewitnesses said that around 7:30 am yesterday, the group of the Astal family children left home heading to their school "Abdullah Siam Preparatory School" in Western Rabwat region; the children walked in a road adjacent to Ganei Tal Settlement which is located on lands of citizens in Delta region, west of Khan Yunis. As the children were walking, one the children stumbled in a rocket of an Israeli tank which was planted on the road, causing the explosion of the rocket and the immediate martyrdom of four children and the fifth suffered critical injuries and later died. Medical sources at Naser Hospital in Khan Yunis said the bodies of the children arrived to the hospital in pieces due to the power of the explosion. Eyewitnesses said that at the time of the explosion, an Israeli tank was seen outside the Settlement of Ganei Tal advancing as the students were passing on the road and then the rocket exploded. Abdul Majid Astal said, 52, said in his testimony to Mizan Center for Human Rights that an Israeli force entered the region around midnight last Wednesday and approached the area of the explosion. He stressed that the area is usually used by school children to their schools.