Some 75 Palestinians wounded by Israeli bombardment

The Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday rocketed by air, sea and ground the positions of "Force 17" of the Palestinian authority in Gaza and the bombardment resulted in huge material losses in the buildings and wounding of tens of the Palestinians.

An Israeli military spokesman admitted that the official for the Palestinian intelligence in Nablus Lt. Yazid Khuder was arrested while he was back from Jordan where he had received medical treatment.

News reports said the Israeli forces opened the fire of its machine- guns and rockets at the Palestinian houses in Jenin and demolished several houses in Anata village to the south of Jerusalem.

Palestinian sources said that number of Palestinians wounded as a result of the Israeli bombardment at Rafah and Khan Younis reached 75, 20 of them are seriously wounded, included seven children. The sources added that the Israeli bombardment destroyed several centers for the Palestinian authority and inflected heavy losses in the houses in Gaza, Rafah, Hebron and Bethlehem.

The sources noted strong confrontation took place in most Palestinian areas between the Intifada youths and the Israeli forces and the Israeli radio admitted that mortar shells fell on several Israeli positions.

Meantime, the Hamas Movement claimed responsibility for blowing off an explosive at an Israeli military vehicle near Natsareim settlement to the south of Gaza and resulted in total destruction of the armored vehicle.

A statement by Hamas said that this operation came in the course of the Palestinian reaction to the continued Israeli terrorism.