Increased number of Beer Sheba killing to 16, Israel seeks a way to react
Palestine-Israel, Military, 9/1/2004

The number of Israelis killed in the double Palestinian operation which targeted two coaches carrying Israelis in Beer Sheba to the south of Israel tolled 16 and wounding of 80. The number of killing is expected to increase, according to Israeli circles.

Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas claimed responsibility for the two operations.

In a statement, Ezz Eddine al-Qassam groups described the two operations as a reaction to the assassination of the founder of the Hamas movement Ahmad Yassin and Abdul Aziz al-Ranteisi. The statement indicated that the delay in the operation was just for good preparations for it.

News reports quoted Palestinian sources as saying that one of the executors of the Beer Sheba operation is named Ahmad al-Qawasimi ( 26 year old), adding that the occupation forces were besieging his house in Hebron city.

A spokesman For Hamas described the two operations in Beer Sheba as a natural reaction to the policy and assassination and invasion pursued by the Israeli occupation forces.

The news reports detailed that the two explosions took place off the municipality headquarters and the wounded were admitted to hospitals while the whole area was closed. Ambulances came from outside the city to transport the injured. Several minutes later, a third explosion took place at the shopping center in the downtown of the city, but the Israeli sources did not specify the reason of the explosion.

Sources in the Israeli police said that the first bus was destroyed completely, while fire was set ablaze in the second bus which was a short time from the first.

The Israeli authorities announced emergency in all parts of Israel.

The news reports commented that this Palestinian operation shows that the security measures taken by Israel are not enough to prevent the occurrence of Palestinian operations.

One Israeli military spokesman announced foiling a Palestinian operation at Beit Hanoun crossing between the sector and Israel. The spokesman explained that the border guards discovered one Palestinian belted by explosives and forced him to surrender and closed the border.

This twin explosion is considered the first of its kind since almost 6 weeks inside Israel. It raised fears of Israeli revenge as the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon will hold a security meeting in Tel Aviv with the defense minister Shaoul Mofaz and senior military leaders in order to discuss the way to retaliate the operation. News reports expected that the meeting will come up with a military escalation against Gaza.

In the first official statement following the explosion, Sharon stressed his determination to continue "fighting terrorism by all means we have." Sharon moved in the company of three of his ministers from his office in Jerusalem to the Knesset.

For its part, the Palestinian Authority condemned the attack which targeted the two buses. Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Oreikat said that the Palestinian authority deplores the killing of civilians in both the Palestinian and Israeli sides, stressing that this is the position of the Palestinian leadership.

Previous Stories:
  One Israeli raid fails in assassinating two activists from Fatah   (8/31/2004)
  Ashkelon prisoners resume their strike   (8/31/2004)
  Israel plans 530 new settler homes in West Bank, sources say   (8/27/2004)
  Palestinian deputy intelligence chief survives assassination attempt   (8/26/2004)
  Occupation army invades Nablus, detains leader of al-Aqsa group   (8/25/2004)
  Israeli forces demolish seven houses in Khan Younis   (8/21/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search