Occupation forces incur in Jenin, release criminal detainees
Palestine-Israel, Military, 8/16/2003

The Israeli occupation forces have released some 74 prisoners who were originally accused of criminal cases and were due to be released on August 12.

The release of the said Palestinians was postponed to that said day because of the occurrence of two Palestinian resistance operations in Tel Aviv and Ariel settlement in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians played down the importance of this Israeli step and said it does not win any worthy importance as the demands relate to releasing the Palestinian prisoners detained for reasons relating to resistance.

On August 6th, Israel released a first group of prisoners including 341 Palestinians out of 8,000 which the Palestinians demand the release of all of them.

This step coincided with the incursion of the Israeli forces, reinforced by tanks yesterday at dawn in the city of Jenin and its camp for the Palestinian refugees in the West Bank under the pretext of searching for Palestinian gunmen.

Eye-witnesses said that the Israeli forces chased fighters representing the Palestinian resistance from house to house. They added that the Israeli soldiers entered the camp using armored vehicles in a new search operation for gunmen of the al-Aqsa martyrs groups of the Palestinian national liberation movement (Fatah) chaired by Yasser Arafat.

Fire was exchanged between the Palestinian gunmen and the occupation forces. The Israeli soldiers launched detention and inspection campaigns of houses in certain quarters under the pretext of searching for resistance fighters to detain them. This is, however, the second incursion of the city and its camp within less than 24 hours.

In the same context, Palestinian security sources said the occupation forces arrested during breaking in campaigns in Qalqilya city to the north of the occupied West Bank three Palestinian activists following a fire exchange during which one of them was wounded.

According to the Palestinian sources, the wounded is a member in the al-Aqsa martyrs group while the two other Palestinians are members in the People's Front For the Liberation of Palestine.

Israeli military sources said the occupation forces arrested on Thursday evening nine Palestinians including three in Qalqilya.

The incursion and the acts of arrest came following a Palestinian - Israeli security meeting held in occupied Jerusalem between the Palestinian Minister of State for Security Affairs Mohammad Dahlan and IsraelÕs defense minister Shaoul Mofaz. The Israeli sources described the meeting as positive.

The two officials whose meeting lasted for more than 4 hours agreed on convening another meeting to give the political solution for the Israeli- Palestinian conflict an impetus and to avoid deterioration of conditions.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli forces invade Jenin, commander in Jihad movement killed   (8/15/2003)
  Israel demolishes 6 Palestinian homes, increases the state of alert   (8/14/2003)
  Israel kills four Palestinians   (8/9/2003)
  Israeli plan to enhance settlement in Jordan Valley, provocative marches in Jerusalem   (8/8/2003)

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