Seven Palestinians killed and tens wounded on the wake of al-Nakbah anniversary
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/15/2001

On the wake of the 53rd anniversary of the usurpation of Palestine ( al-Nakbah) the Israeli occupation forces continued its acts that resulted in killing five Palestinian policemen and wounding more than 15 in the missile bombardment against the Palestinian town of Beitonia on Sunday night.

On Monday, two Palestinians were killed and 6 were wounded when the Israeli occupation army opened fire on them near al-Qarrara town to the south of Gaza.

A Palestinian security source said that the first is Muhammad Youssef al-Qassas ( 26) was killed at al-Matahin crossroad and that the Israeli forces in seizing the body of the second Palestinian and refused to hand it to his relatives, claiming that al-Qassas tried to throw a bomb at a position for the Israeli army at the same cross- road.

The source stressed that the occupation army, following the incident opened its heavy machine guns fire at a position for the Palestinian security forces in al-Qarrara town and closed the road leading between the north and south of Gaza to isolate, thereby the northern part from the sector from its south.

Meantime, Palestinian eye-witnesses said that four Palestinian buildings in Beit Jala were hit by the Israeli tanks shells, adding that the Israeli army called on the Palestinians, by the loudspeakers, to leave certain sections in Beit Jala.

An Israeli military spokesman said that four settlers including two women from Jelo settlement in Jerusalem were wounded when they were exposed to bullets fired from Beit Jala town.

Ten Palestinians, including one child critically wounded were hit on Monday during confrontation between the Arab citizens and the Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza.

Medical sources said that the Palestinian child Majdi Shaath ( 11 year old) was hit in his stomach by a bullet fired by Israeli soldiers against al-Salaam quarters in Rafah, while other wounded were registered in Sanjal village to the north of Ramullah when tens of Palestinians went into the streets to confront the Israeli soldiers who were trying to demolish one of the houses of the village.

Then, the Israeli forces bombarded a position for the Palestinian Authority in Khan Younis city. One Israeli settler was wounded and an Israeli car was hit as a result of the confrontation between the Intifada youth and the Israeli soldiers in occupied Jerusalem, while other confrontations took place in " Nevet Dekalim" settlement in Gaza during which the Palestinian youths attacked an Israeli armored vehicles in its way to a position near Nablus.

In Ramullah Arab youths attacked a car for settlers while it was running near al-Nabi Saleh village while other confrontations took place in al-Tijah village which has been under curfew since two days.

Meantime, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat has described the killing of the five Palestinians, members of the Palestinian national security on Sunday night by the Israeli soldiers as " dirty assassination act, immoral and non- military," while the Palestinian Authority asked for convening an urgent meeting for the UN Security Council to halt the continued Israeli brutal aggression against the Palestinian people.

For its part, the " Islamic Jihad" movement has asserted clinging to the option of armed struggle and resistance as the sole way to liberate Palestine, noting that the Israeli policy conducted to assassinate Palestinian politicians and military men will push the resistance men to carry out more military operations against the occupation forces.

Meanwhile, the Arab League has held Israel responsible for the deterioration of conditions in the occupied territories and stressed that the current Israeli government is a war government, rather than a government of peace.

In a statement released on Monday, the AL council called on the UN and the ME peace process cosponsor and the European Union and China to work promptly to halt the Israeli aggression, stressing the need of ensuring international protection for the Palestinian people.

In al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has stressed that it is investing its flourishing relations with the world countries in order to serve the cause of Palestine and to restore back all occupied Arab territories.

During a session for the Saudi Cabinet chaired on Monday by King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi cabinet stressed that Saudi Arabia spares no efforts to support the cause of Palestine so as the Palestinians will restore back all their rights and occupied territories.

The secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Abdul Wahid Balqaziz has called on the international community to immediately halt the Israeli aggressions and ensure international protection for the Palestinians.

In Washington, the US secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday expressed his country's concern over the escalation of what he has called the acts of violence in the Middle East. He called on the Israeli and Palestinian sides for self control.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli forces broke into Rafah   (5/14/2001)
  One Palestinian killed, tens wounded on Friday's confrontation   (5/12/2001)
  Israeli defense minister meets with 17 EU ambassadors in Tel Aviv   (5/12/2001)
  Memories of a 1948 survivor   (5/12/1998)
  Palestinians prepare for mourning day on May 14   (5/11/1998)
  Memories of a veteran Palestinian fighter in 1948   (5/1/1998)
  Interviews: 50th anniversary of Deir Yassin massacre   (4/10/1998)
  Kufr Qassem 41 years later: survivors recall the cold-blooded massacre   (4/9/1998)
  Intifada: recollections from the past   (12/22/1997)

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