Palestinian authority warns over explosion after Israel's destruction of runway
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 1/11/2002

The Palestinian authority warned on Friday over risks of explosion in the whole Middle East region, following Israel's new incursion in the Palestinian territories and destruction of a runway at the Gaza international airport.

"Reoccupying parts of the Palestinian-ruled city of Rafah and attacking the international airport of Gaza will lead the region into more violence, tensions and eventually an explosion," said Nabil Abu Rudeina, advisor to Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.

On Friday, Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers moved into Palestinian controlled areas in Gaza and cut off the road between the towns of Rafah and Khan Younis. Dozens of holes were dug in the airport runway.

On Thursday, some 700 Palestinians were made homeless after Israeli army bulldozers and armoured vehicles rumbled into the Rafah refugee camp near Gaza's border with Egypt early, scaring Palestinians out of homes which were then demolished. They left behind a desolate scenery of huge piles of rubble, twisted metal, wood and broken furniture and weeping women and men and children sifting through the rubble trying to recover their belongings in the cold and rain.

Israeli bulldozers also destroyed a Palestinian police post in the Gaza Strip that had earlier been abandoned, Palestinian security sources said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel would maintain the closure of Ramallah - the West Bank town where Arafat has been confined for weeks - until he arrests those who killed an Israeli Cabinet minister in October.

"If he (Arafat) has to sit there for years, he'll sit there years," said Sharon.

Previous Stories:
  Hundreds of Palestinians homeless after Israel razed houses   (1/10/2002)
  940 Palestinians died since september 2000   (1/10/2002)
  Four Israelis shot, including one army officer by Palestinian Intifada   (1/10/2002)

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