Four Palestinians killed, houses demolished, Katsav demands Palestinians fight resistance movements
Palestine-Israel, Military, 6/26/2003

Two Palestinians were killed during fire exchanged with the Israeli soldiers who destroyed industrial workshop in the industrial area in Beit Hanoun village. One Israeli soldier was wounded in the confrontations which followed the killing of the two Palestinians.

The Palestinian youth Akram Abu Farhanah and the young girl Nevin Abu Rheila ( 17 year old) were also killed and other 15 Palestinians were wounded as a result of the Israeli bombardment of a car to the East of Khan Younis. Among the wounded is Muhammad Seyam, member in al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Hamas movement who lost his right leg.

Meantime, an Israeli force backed by tanks and bulldozers incurred in al-Salaam quarters in Rafah and destroyed two houses and inflected damage on other houses.

Two Palestinians were wounded when they tried to enter Gaza. The Israeli forces demolished five houses in Khan Younis and detained Palestinians from Toubas village and another one from Taffouh village near Hebron. Two Palestinians were also injured when the Israeli forces opened fire at them near "Nahal al-Oze" settlement in Gaza.

The Palestinian resistance fired at an Israeli patrol near Natsareim settlement and other shells at the occupation positions near "Ghoushe Katif settlement" and a Qassam missile at Sederout settlement in Negev.

While the Israeli President Moshe Katsav called on the Palestinian authority to fight the Palestinian national resistance movement, especially Hamas, the chairman of the American team in charge of implementing the Roadmap, John Wolf, met with the Palestinian Authority prime minister Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza.

A meeting is due today in Cairo between the director of the Egyptian intelligence Omar Suleiman and representatives for Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements in order to discuss the truce issue between the Israeli and Palestinian sides.

The two movements, however, denied information about the Cairo meeting and stressed they are still studying the truce issue and that their reply will come within days.

One of the Hamas leading figures, Abdul Aziz al-Ranteisi, stressed that the current efforts aim at imposing surrender on the Palestinians, rather than halting the terrorism carried out by the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon against the Palestinians.

In an interview with the BBC, al-Ranteisi noted the legitimacy of resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation forces which confiscate land and rights, kill and detain Palestinians, and build settlements on the Palestinian lands.

Meantime, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs William Joseph Burns stressed the commitment and determination of the US President George W. Bush to implement the items of the Roadmap and to make it a reality and to found a Palestinian state.

In a statement to MENA ( Middle East News Agency) yesterday, Burns explained that the recent visit of the US Secretary Of State Colin Powell to the region and the visit to be held by the US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to the Middle East reflect this determination.

Burns added that despite difficulties facing the implementation of the Roadmap to peace some progress has been attained.

He indicated that there is a US observer team which is working continuously in the occupied Palestinian territories. He said that Washington welcomes other countries participation and giving the Roadmap a push forward.

Meantime, the Israeli settlers yesterday at dawn installed two new settlement sites one near Ramullah and the second is near Ariel settlement. The Israeli radio said that the Israeli settlements council in the West Bank announced in a statement that it intends to install scores of settlements in the West Bank as a counteraction to the intention of the Israeli government to dismantle certain small settlements.

Previous Stories:
  Five Palestinian civilians were wounded including a child in critical condition   (6/25/2003)
  Hamas vows to revenge al-Qawasmi assassination   (6/23/2003)
  People, Democratic fronts for the liberation of Palestine reject truce; Hamas, Islamic Jihad study it   (6/20/2003)
  One Palestinian killed, four houses demolished; Qassam missile hit settlement   (6/19/2003)
  Israel denies Palestinian reports on possibility of releasing Barghouthi shortly   (6/18/2003)
  Thousands of Israeli settlers demonstrate in Jerusalem: dismantling settlements is a surrender to terrorism   (6/5/2003)

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