Israel destroys Rafah mosque, three Palestinians killed
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 4/14/2001

After breaking on Wednesday into Khan Younis camp for the Palestinian refugees and in another escalation, the Israeli forces on Thursday bombarded using artillery and missiles the Palestinian Rafah city and the bombardment concentrated on Salah Eddine Gate and resulted in destroying great part of al-Nour Mosque and several buildings.

The bombardment also targeted areas of al-Sheikh Ajleen near Gaza and the Israeli soldiers opened fire at the houses of the Palestinians in al-Khalil and several villages in Ramullah and Toulkarem at a time when calls were advocated by the Israelis to occupy Abu Seneh quarters in Hebron.

On Thursday, three Palestinians were killed by the bullets of the Israeli forces while the official in charge of the local rule in the Palestinian Authority Saeb Oreikat described the practices of the Israeli government led by Ariel Sharon as crimes of war and terrorism.

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon stressed the persistence of his government to escalate its attacks against the Palestinians. He renewed his commitment to occupying Jerusalem and not to give up it. In an interview with the Israeli daily Yadehaut Ahronout issued today ( Friday), Sharon threatened to annex the Israelu settlements in the west bank and Gaza and to occupy new Palestinian areas in order to preserce what he called the security of Israel. He asserted rejection to evacuate any of the settlement, at any rate.

Meanwhile, A Palestinian official told AFP that the Israeli bombardment against Rafah lasted for half an hour. Eye-witnessed said that the Israeli army deployed huge number of tanks in Rafah in preparation for implementing a vast operation that will be similar to breaking in operation in Khan Younis camp, SANA reported

An Israeli military spokesman admitted that two soldiers were wounded in Rafah in the violent confrontations took place in Gaza on Thursday between the Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli army.

The Israeli army summoned additional military forces to its positions in Gaza and the West bank in order to confront the activities of the Palestinian Intifada, which have been escalated lately.

An Israeli military source said in statements quoted by the Israeli radio on Thursday that the Palestinians used new methods on ways of confronting the Israeli army.

The source added that the Israeli forces bombarded Palestinian positions by tanks and that the Palestinian Intifada youths retaliated these aggressions by opening fire at an israeli military force on al-Anfaq ( tunnels) road near al-Khuder village to the south of Jerusalem and this resulted in serious wounds for an Israeli soldier.

The Palestinian youth Hafez Rushdi Subeh ( 35 year old) was killed and another palestinian was wounded by the Israeli bullets in the clashes took place near al-Qarrarah town in Khan Younis, while the Palestinian teenager Shawkat al-Alami ( 15 year old) was killed after he was hit in his neck by the Israeli bullets in Beit Omer Town.

The Palestinian Muhammad Khalil al-Dajeen died on Thursday in one of the Israeli prisons after he was violently tortured by the Israeli soldiers during investigations with him. The Israeli forces had arrested al-Dajeen one year earlier under the pretext of challenging the Israeli occupation.

On Thursday, the Palestinians held funerals for three men who were killed by the Israeli army shells. The funeral was held amid calls and slogans voicing determination to continue the Palestinian Intifada.

Previous Stories:
  One Palestinian killed, 17 wounded in confrontation with the Israelis   (4/11/2001)
  One Palestinian killed in confrontations with the Israelis   (4/10/2001)
  Deir Yassin anniversary massacre   (4/10/2001)

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