Israel bombards Toulkarem; Arafat orders ban; news of replacing Arafat
Two Israeli warplanes bombarded Toulkarem camp and the Israeli forces invaded al-Arja nearby village which is close to Areiha.
Meantime, the Israeli Prime minister Ariel Sharon continued his threats to the Palestinians, stressing continued military attacks against the Palestinians and to launch a continued war against them until the Palestinian resistance is ultimately eliminated.
The US administration called on the Palestinian authority to take a decision to halt what it calls practice of violence. The spokesman for the White House said that President George Bush is waiting for what the Palestinian Authority will take of measures in order to end the suicide operations.
The chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat on Wednesday condemned the Reishoun Liteisoun "martyrdom operation" and said in a statement that he gave his instructions for the Palestinian security forces to withstand and prevent "suicide operations against Israel." A high ranking source close to Sharon said that the latter agreed with the US President George Bush on the need of replacing Yasser Arafat and alienating him from the authority and giving him just a symbolic position.
Meantime, two Palestinian youths were shot. One in Jenin and the other near Mourag settlement in Gaza while the Israeli forces arrested 11 Palestinians in Hebron, occupied Jerusalem, Areiha and Toulkarem.
The Israeli radio said that the Palestinians were arrested in al-Sheikh quarters in Hebron and Palestinians in Bani Naem village, Hebron district, five Palestinians in al-Oja village near Areiha and one Palestinian in Toulkarem and another in al-Raam village near Jerusalem. These acts of arrest were made within a vast campaign targeted several Palestinians cities and villages in the west bank under the pretext of resisting the Israeli occupation.
Meanwhile, two Israeli soldiers were wounded on Wednesday at dawn near al-Ibraheimi mosque in hebron, the West Bank in a fight with one Palestinian who tried to take the weapons of an Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli radio said that an Israeli military unit hurried to the site and opened fire at the Palestinian youth who was wounded before he was arrested.