Some 17 Israelis killed, 100 wounded in Palestinian operation in Banthania
Palestine-Israel, Military, 3/28/2002

In retaliation to the continued Israeli occupation and acts of killing against the Palestinians, 17 Israeli were killed and more than 120 wounded, 20 in critical conditions in an operation carried out by a Palestinian "youth" in Park Banthania hotel to the north of Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening.

The Palestinian national resistance movement Hamas claimed responsibility for the operation. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday that the executor of the operation is "Martyr Abdul Baset Odeh of Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group from Toulkarem in the West Bank."

The Israeli police sources said that the explosion took place in the hall of the hotel which was crowded by visitors. The hotel was greatly damaged. Its ceiling collapsed and the several cars stationed in front of the hotel were damaged. The Palestinian bomber was able to carry out his operation despite the state of alert imposed in Israel and that the Israeli authorities deployed 10,000 Israeli soldiers and policemen since morning to avoid Palestinian operations.

News reports said that this operation is the strongest since the bomb explosion in a coach in Haifa on January 2nd which then resulted in killed 15 Israelis.

A Palestinian youth stormed in by his car an Israeli military check point inside al-Tibeh city in the territories of 1948 on Wednesday at dawn.

The Israeli radio said that the said Palestinian tried to crush members of the Israeli check point who opened fire at him intensively and this prevented him from carrying out the storming in operation.

The Israeli radio indicated that the said youth was able to flee away from the site of the incident and a huge Israeli force is mopping up the area, searching for him.

Meantime, a huge explosive went off when an israeli military vehicle was running near Nahal Ouz settlement in Gaza.

Two Palestinians were killed and one Israeli army officer and one soldier wounded in clashes took place on Wednesday at dawn near Kisovim check point in Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesman, according to the Israeli radio, said that the clashes with a group of Palestinians took place near the barrier and that a Palestinian able to pull out from the site of confrontation. The spokesman added that the Palestinian used in his attack bombs and mortars.

Meantime, the Palestinian national resistance Islamic Jihad movement on Wednesday claimed responsibility for the attack at Kisovim in al-Qarrara town in Khan Younis to the south of Gaza on Tuesday evening in which two Israeli soldiers were wounded and the two Palestinian attackers were killed. An official at the Islamic Jihad said that the two Palestinians were Waddah al-Batesh and Mustafa al-Akhras are from the military wing of the movement.

A Palestinian medical source said that the corpses of the two Palestinians are still held with the Israeli aide.

Saeed Nasser, member of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine was killed and his ungle had critical wounds as an explosion went off at the house of the said ( martyr) in al- Ein camp for the refugees near Nablus city on Wednesday.

The Israeli authorities tried to assassinate the Palestinian youth Wael Hmesheh near Qabatyah village in Jenin area.

The Israeli radio admitted that an Israeli military force ambushed a car Hmesheh was riding and opened fire at the car and damaged it but he was able to flee a way. Hmesheh is one of the Fatah movement cadres.

Previous Stories:
  Two Palestinians killed, vast detention campaign, Sharon prevents Arafat from the summit   (3/27/2002)
  More Palestinians killed in Israeli incursions in Rafah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Nablus   (3/26/2002)
  Israeli fortifications in the Jordan valley   (3/26/2002)

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