Many Israelis killed in attack; Palestinian child shot
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 4/17/2006

At least seven people were killed and at least 30 injured today afternoon (local time) when a Palestinian human bomber detonated an explosive device he was carrying in downtown Tel Aviv, police and rescue workers said.

It is not clear if the dead and injured were soldiers or settlers or civilians. The Israeli public radio said many of the injured were in serious conditions.

The bomber was also killed in the attack which apparently came as a retaliation for the killing by Israel of more than 25 Palestinians, including two children, in the past two weeks.

President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman strongly condemned the "terrorist operation" saying such operations are against the Palestinian national consensus and harm the high national interests.

The Islamic Jihad organization reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for the killing of Palestinian children and women by the Israeli army.

Israel hastened to blame the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, and the beleaguered Hamas-led government.

Also, Israeli occupation troops today opened fire on children, minors and international peace volunteers in downtown Nablus, seriously injuring a Palestinian teenager, medical sources and eyewitnesses said.

According to the sources, undercover Israeli soldiers who had taken over a Palestinian apartment to hunt "stone-throwing kids" opened fire on school boys a as they were returning home from school, injuring several children, including one who sustained a gunshot wound in his neck.

"I saw an Israeli sniper shoot the kid in the neck," said Muhammed Shunnar, who witnessed the incident.

"They behave like the Gestapo. They shoot and kill kids who don't pose any threat or risk to them. Why don't (US President George) Bush and the Europeans say anything about this. Are they afraid of the Jews?" Palestinian hospital officials describe the injury of the boy as "serious" but not life threatening.

An international peace volunteer from Chile who was walking in the area described the incident.

"When he was hit by the bullet in the neck, he ran towards me before collapsing and the blood gushed out from his neck," said Ana Maria Espinza.

According to a press release issued by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), the practice by the Israeli army of occupying and holding occupants incommunicado is known in the Israeli Army as a "straw widow" operation. The army uses the occupied home as an observation post and sniper position. Such homes are often reoccupied several times.

Also, today, 80 Israeli tanks invaded the West Bank city of Nablus. The Palestinan government said Israeli occupation forces stormed a school in the north of occupied Jerusalem, the schools' headmaster said.

Last week, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire indiscriminately on Palestinian college students in Nablus, wounding several of them, including a third-year Information Technology (IT) student who lost here right eye.

The student, Ruba Mahmoud Awayes, said she was shot while she was heading to a taxi cab that would have taken her to her village outside Nablus. The Israeli army said it had no knowledge of the "incident."

Palestinian Red Crescent Society said that Israeli occupation forces continued to violate international humanitarian law and fundamental Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territories concluding that these practices constitute a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva Conventions, which are legally applied to the occupied Palestinian territories.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli occupation forces wounds several Palestinians   (4/15/2006)
  Balance of international forces not beneficial for Palestinians   (4/15/2006)
  Mashaal criticizes US efforts to provoke world against Palestine   (4/15/2006)
  Ramadan Abdallah: Recognition of Israel is submission to hegemony   (4/15/2006)
  Israel bombs Fatah youth's office   (4/12/2006)
  Israel breaking humanitarian law as 7 year-old girl is killed   (4/11/2006)

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