Israel reoccupied Palestinian areas, 10 Palestinians killed, scores wounded
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/13/2002

The Israeli army on Tuesday, just hours from the carnage it committed in Gaza, launched the largest military operation since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada during which Ramullah, where the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat is held since three months, was reoccupied.

The Israeli army forces also reoccupied al-Amaari camp where these forces were challenged violently resulted in destroying several armored vehicles by RPJ shells which showed up for the first time openly in the Palestinian self- rule area. The new Israeli aggressions resulted in the killing of 10 Palestinians and wounding of tens and this increases number of Palestinian killing to 37 within 24 hours.

Just several days from the arrival of the US delegate Anthony Zinni to the Middle East, the Israeli army forces on Monday evening launched large scale military operations in Gaza and reoccupied the city of Ramullah, where Arafat lives.

A medical source at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis said that 4 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombardment at a workshop for re-manufacturing iron-steel in Maan area to the south of Khan Younis to the south Gaza on Tuesday. The source also explained that the bombardment also resulted in wounding three Palestinian. The bombardment also targeted an adjoining position for force no 17.Damages were scored and no human losses were registered.

One Palestinian youth died on Tuesday because of his wounds to the east of al-Maghazi camp in Gaza.

On Monday evening the Israeli army committed a carnage in Jabalia district in Gaza resulted in killing 17 Palestinians and one member of the Palestinian "force no 17." Other three Palestinians were wounded in Deir al-Balah in the central part of Gaza following Israeli Apache planes and gun- ships bombardment at Palestinian security positions during night time. In this Israeli operation, some 50 Palestinians were wounded. Ten of them are in critical health conditions.

In Wadi al-Salqa in Gaza, the Israeli army forces arrested 19 Israelis before they Pulled out from the town.

More than 2000 persons from Gaza held a funeral ceremony for five martyrs of the Palestinian force no 17 who were killed on Monday evening in Jabalia amid atmospheres of anger and with the participation of various Palestinian movements.

Israel's occupation of Ramullah resulted in killing five Palestinians. They are three police members and two civilians. Other 10 were wounded. The Israeli forces also reoccupied all parts of the city and its tanks were deployed just 100 meters apart from the residence of Yasser Arafat.

Members of the Hamas movement Strangled a young Palestinian in Ramullah who was in prison under the charge of spying to Israel. He was strangled from his leg after he was killed, before the arrival of the Israeli army.

However, an Israeli military spokesman said that the operation launched by the Israeli army on Monday evening to occupy Ramullah which falls under the Palestinian self- rule authority is the largest since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada in September 2000, in which units of the Israeli troopers and airforce took part together with more that 100 tank and armored vehicles.

After the Israeli forces stormed in al-Am'ari camp which is inhabited by 80000 Palestinian refugees, the israeli army demanded all men aging between 15- 45 to gather at the public sqyare of the camp.

Eye- witnesses said that in defiance to the instructions of the Israelis, women and children took the street and the men stayed in the houses and the Palestinian authority asked the men not to surrender them selves.

An official spokesman for the Palestinian Authority said that " the leadership called on the brave citizens of al-Amri camp not to respond to the demand made by the Israeli forces to gather in certain public places and to stay steadfast and resist the occupation."

Meantime, the Washington Post reported today that "As Israeli forces rumbled close to his house, 54-year-old Abdul Rahman Izzadin headed up the stairs and called down to his wife, children and grandchildren to stay indoors. Those were the last words they heard him say. At the top of the stairs, as he reached to close the metal door leading to the rooftop, he was shot three times -- in the ear, neck and cheek -- and killed instantly, apparently by an Israeli sniper on the roof of an adjacent house that neighbors said the army had commandeered. Moments later, when Izzadin's 36-year-old son Walid rushed to his father's aid, he, too, was shot to death. It is not known why they were fired upon."

Previous Stories:
  Arafat: Israeli escalation proceeds according to plan   (3/12/2002)
  Israel refuses UN observers in Palestinian territories   (3/12/2002)
  Sharon releases Arafat, opening the door for his participation at Beirut's summit   (3/11/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search