Israeli forces stormed into Ramullah, attack Arafat headquarters
Since early hours of Friday, the Israeli forces stormed into the city of Ramullah and attacked the headquarters of the chairman of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat, demolished parts of it amid violent confrontations with the Palestinians who hurried to defend their city. The Israeli attacks resulted in killing five Palestinians and wounding scores, while one Israeli army officer was killed and others wounded.
News reports said that fire erupted inside the buildings of Arafat's headquarters and the Israeli forces demolished walls of the building and the tanks cordoned it from all sides. The Israeli forces also occupied several buildings in Ramullah and held a vast detention campaign in the lines of citizens. The Israeli forces also arrested several members of the Palestinian authority leadership including Lt. Gen. Muhammad Da'as, Arafat's military advisor.
The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon stressed his determination to continue the aggression for weeks and that he is targeting Yasser Arafat, in particular. He said that Israel decided to launch the war against the Palestinians and that the first stage of this war is to occupy Ramullah and that Arafat is an "enemy and we work to isolate him." The Israeli war minister Benjamin Bin Aliazer said: "The war we have started aims at striking the Palestinian infrastructure and this war will not know geographical borders and no body is beyond the operations of the Israeli army.
In the Palestinian retaliation to the continued Israeli terrorism, a Palestinian girl carried out a "suicide" operation inside a trade center in Kreyat Yuvil in occupied Jerusalem resulted in killing two Israelis and wounding 28 others, two of them are in critical health conditions.
The Israeli TV said that the Palestinian woman detonated an explosive belt she was wearing and she was carrying a mortar explosive which did not blow off.
Al-Aqsa groups of the Fatah movement claimed responsibility for the operation. Palestinians say that the Palestinian girl is Ayat Muhammad al-Akhras ( 18 year old) and that she lived in a Palestinian refugee camp near Bethlehem. They added that Ayat left a video tape criticizing the Arab silence towards what is taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories while women are fighting the Israeli soldiers to end the occupation.
Meantime a Palestinian teenager knifed two Israeli settlers to death inside Natsareim settlement in Gaza before he was shot by the Israelis.
Al-Quds groups of the Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility for this operation and explained that its executor is Muhammad Ahmad Khaziq ( 32 year old) from al-Sabra quarters in Gaza and vowed to continue struggle.