Palestinian groups retaliate Israeli violations of the truce; Two Israelis were killed, 12 wounded in two operations
Palestine-Israel, Military, 8/13/2003

Two Israelis were at least killed yesterday in two Palestinian operations carried out within 40 minutes of each other. The first operation targeted a shop at Raas al-Ein town near Tel Aviv and was claimed by al-Aqsa group of the Fatah Movement. The second operation targeted Ariel settlement and was claimed by the Hamas movement, which together with al-Aqsa movement announced that the two operations are in retaliation of the continued Israeli violations of the truce.

Although the Palestinian authority condemned the two operations, Israel held the Palestinian authority responsible and accused it of not working to strike the resistance groups, and postponed the release of 67 Palestinian prisoners most of them are "public rights" prisoners.

A local organization official in Raas al-Ein, Doron Kotler, said the explosion resulted in "killing one persons and wounding other 10, one of them in a critical health conditions, five with strong injuries and other five are slightly wounded." The Israeli radio said that the operation was carried out by Palestinian suicide bomber "whose body was found near the site of the explosion." Minutes later, one Israeli was killed and other two wounded, one of them is in a grave health condition, when a booby trapped car went off near Ariel settlement.

The chairman of the settlement municipality, Ron Nahman, told the Israeli TV that "one Israeli was killed and other two wounded, one is in a critical health condition from a booby trapped car operation at the entrance of Ariel." Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Hamas movement, said that Islam Youssef Qfeisha ( 21 year old) from Nablus carried out this attack in Ariel in revenge of killing two members of the Hamas movement on Friday in Nablus.

Al-Aqsa martyrs groups claimed responsibility for the operation. It stressed in a statement that the operation was carried out "in retaliation to the Zionist terrorism and the acts of assassination carried out in the Palestinian cities, villages and camps." The statement added "Martyr Khamis Ghazi carried out an operation in the heart of occupied Palestine in Raas al-Ein settlement near Tel Aviv." It added "there will be more martyrdom operations until the occupation is expelled from our lands and our answer to the massacres by Sharon and his Nazi government will be strong."

The movement stressed "total adherence to the decision of its wise leadership which calls for pending military operations. But we stress that our 'fighting cells' should be always ready to quickly retaliate every attempt to violate the suspension of the operation."

On June 29, the main Palestinian groups announced a conditional truce, limited to three months for operations against Israel. But Ismael Haneyah, one of the Hamas leaders stressed "Hamas commitment to the truce" considering that the operation came "as a natural outcome to the stubborn Israeli stand which refuse to abide by the initiative proposed by the Palestinian resistance groups." Haneyah held the "Israeli enemy responsible for the deterioration as a result of this rejection." For his part, Muhammad al-Hindi, of the Islamic Jihad, held Israel responsible for this violence "because of its violations of truce arrangements and the Palestinian truce." He simultaneously stressed "the commitment of the Palestinian group to the truce."

On the other hand, the spokesman for the Israeli government Ave Baznar said "we have notified the Palestinian authority that the Palestinian terrorist organizations are preparing attacks against Israel and it did nothing to prevent these organizations from that." He added "we call on the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas to eliminate the terrorist organizations and arrest its members, collect their weapons, according to obligation the Palestinian authority vowed at al-Aqaba summit ( Jordan) two months ago."

Previous Stories:
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  Israel kills four Palestinians   (8/9/2003)
  Israeli plan to enhance settlement in Jordan Valley, provocative marches in Jerusalem   (8/8/2003)
  Israel releases new group of Palestinian prisoners, invades Areiha   (8/7/2003)
  Irsaeli forces would five Palestinians in west bank, razes lands in Bethlehem   (8/5/2003)

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