Israeli forces bombard Gaza by gunboats, Apatchi, Jenin, Bethlehem by F 16 planes
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 12/4/2001

As the Palestinians were preparing their Iftar meals and immediately upon the arrival of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon from Washington, the Israeli forces started an attack against Gaza, after which fires set ablaze in every part of the city.

News reports said that Apatchi missiles, and artillery and tanks shelling bombarded resulted in wounding 25 Palestinians and set fire in fuel reservoirs of the helicopters runway at Gaza's airport.

The Israeli missiles bombardment also destroyed a position for the Palestinian TV and the Palestinian Space station and also positions for the Fatah movement and the Israeli gunboats took part in the bombardment.

A spokesman for the Israeli army said that this Israeli operation is a clear message to the Palestinians and also represents the first phase of the plan reviewed by the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon with his defense minister Benjamin Bin Aliazer before the specialized Israeli security.

The Israeli planes also bombarded by missiles the two cities of Jenin and Bethlehem and the Israeli tanks incurred in Beit Lahia.

One Palestinian youth from Jenin was killed on Monday morning when an Israeli military barrier opened fire at him. The Palestinian youth Muhammad Sanjaq ( 19 ) year old from the Fatah movement was killed by the Israeli bullets near Toulkarem.

Other five Palestinians were killed by the Israeli bullet fire in two separate incidents near Jenin and thereby number of Palestinians who were killed since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada increased to 997.

An Israeli patrol broke into Barqa village near Nablus and arrested one member of the Palestinian security department.

The Israeli authorities prepared a list including names of Palestinian policemen and security members in order to arrest them at the pretext of taking part in resisting acts.

To this effect, the Israeli forces arrested five citizens from Salwan quarters to the east of Jerusalem at charges of throwing stones and explosives.

Meantime, almost one thousand Palestinians in Gaza took part in the funeral of Muslima al-Araj one of the co-executor of the suicide operation near Elie Sinai settlement and stressed their determination to continue the Intifada until liberation and ending the Israeli occupation.

In retaliation to the Israeli operations, one Israeli soldier was seriously wounded of Palestinian fire at his position in " Kadim" settlement in the surrounding of Jenin city. Another Israeli soldier was wounded near Qalandia camp to the north of Jerusalem as he was thrown by stones of the Palestinian Intifada youths.

An Israeli economic source said the losses in the Israeli properties as a result of the explosions carried out by the Palestinian resistance men during this year 2001 reached 100 million shekels, noting that this figure does not include results of the recent operations in Jerusalem and Haifa.

Meanwhile, upon his arrival from Washington Sharon held security and military meetings with members of his government. He on Monday evening held a special meeting for the Israeli government to take decisions over attacking the Palestinians. Sharon warned members of his government not to give any statements about the taken decisions, according to the Israeli radio. The radio added that the government will take decisions that constitute a leap towards halting the Intifada.

The Israeli radio quoted the Israeli minister of the Interior Elie Eshay as saying that it is right time to take a decision to expel Arafat and leaders of the Palestinian authority from the Palestinian self rule territories.

One of Sharon's companions in his visit to Washington said that Sharon's stances were identical with the vision of the US President George Bush who did not try to call on Sharon not to retaliate to the " suicide operations" recently took place by the Palestinians.

Politically and at the Palestinian level, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Oreikat called on the US to pressure Israel to halt its missile attacks against occupied Gaza, noting that Israeli seeks relentlessly to destroy the Palestinian infrastructure.

He said that establishing peace in the Middle East region lies in the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the occupied territories, the return back of the usurped rights and guaranteeing the foundation of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as a capital, noting that violence only results in counter violence.

Previous Stories:
  Some 25 Israelis were killed 220 wounded in Palestinian suicide operations   (12/3/2001)
  Israeli forces broke into Jenin, Khan Younis, Beit Lahia, 8 children wounded   (12/1/2001)
  A Palestinian detonates a coach, three Israelis killed   (11/30/2001)

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