Some 11 Israelis killed in a Palestinian operation, Israeli raids at Gaza, Israel postpones Sharon-Qrei meeting
Palestine-Israel, Military, 3/15/2004

The Palestinian Intifada yesterday targeted the Israeli strategic depth, when two Palestinians belonging to al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Hamas movement and al-Aqsa martyrs group of the Fatah Movement penetrated into the tightened security measures and arriving at Asdoud port to the south of occupied Palestine, which includes the largest base for the Israeli naval forces, and detonated themselves and this resulted in killing 11 Israelis and wounding other 15, many of them are in critical health condition.

Asdod port is considered an important strategic institution where the largest base for the Israeli navy exists. It also includes fuel warehouses and a large electricity generation station is near the port.

Although the Palestinian leadership condemned the twin "suicide" operation, Israel postponed the meeting which was due tomorrow between the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon and the Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qurei'.

Late yesterday night the occupation helicopters launched raids at the central and western Gaza firing scores of missiles that resulted in cutting the electricity grid from the area and destroying of two smiths factories.

If it is found out that the two " Palestinian suiciders " were living in Gaza and had arrived to Asdoud from Gaza, this will be then the first suicide operation carried out from the sector where the occupation forces installed a security fence including monitoring towers and warning systems. This operation will also increase the controversy inside Israel on Sharon's plan for unilateral split which provides withdrawal from most of the settlements of Gaza and certain settlements in the West Bank.

The spokesman for the Israeli police Gill Kilman said "11 were killed in addition to the two suiciders." Police sources talked about 15 wounded with three of them in a critical condition. Police sources talked about two explosions inside the port. The first explosion took place inside the port at the offices building, while the second explosion took place in the industrial workshops. One eye witness said, a worker in the building, that a suspect man asked him for drinking water, and when he went to bring in the water the explosion took place.

Meantime, al-Qassam group, and al-Aqsa martyrs groups claimed responsibilioty for the Asdoud operation and said in a joint statement that the executors of the operation are Muhammad Zuheir Salem ( 18 year old) from al-Qassam group from occupied village of Harbeya and is currently living in Beit Lahia project, and Nabil Ibrahim Masoud ( 18 year old) of al-Aqsa group from occupied village of Saneid and lives in Jabalia camp.

The statement said that the "operation comes in the course of the policy of killing, destruction and besiege practiced by the Zionist government and the last of which are the massacres of al-Nseirat and al-Breij and in revenge for killing Hani Abu Sukheila, Majdi al-Khatib and Mahmoud Joudeh and as an assertion that there is no option but resistance in order to liberate all our lands."

Previous Stories:
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  Egypt rejects to administer Gaza's security after the Israeli withdrawal   (3/9/2004)
  Israeli forces incur in the West Bank, 14 Palestinians killed   (3/8/2004)
  Five worshippers were killed in an attack in front of a mosque; Sanaa denied assassination attempt on President's son   (3/6/2004)
  Occupation forces admit assassination of three Hamas members; Palestinian resistance confronts Israeli incursion in Jenin   (3/4/2004)
  Beshara and the Israeli wall   (2/26/2004)

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