Some 150 Israeli tanks storm into Gaza, backed by planes

The Israeli forces yesterday escalated their open aggressions against the Palestinians and launched a vast campaign in the city of Nablus and its camps while the israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz threatend that this Israeli campaign will extend to other areas in the West Bank.

By 150 tanks, and military vehicles, and backed by Apache planes, they stormed into the city of Nablus and bombarded the houses in the old city and destroyed many of them and controlled buildings and converted them into imposition sites.

The Israeli forces also invaded the two camps of Askar and Balata near Nablus under random fire and launched a campaign of arrest targeted more than 30 citizens.

The chairman of Nablus municipality Ghassan al-Shakaa stressed that the Israeli forces isolated the city from other cities of the West Bank, and imposed curfew and military siege against it, opening fire against every one who moves in it.

The Israeli forces also invaded Beir Zeit town to the north of Ramullah and arrested 18 citizens after breaking into their houses and inspecting them, while source close to the Israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz stressed that the military operations will cover later the cities of Toulkarem, Ramullah, Jenin and the quarters close to it as well as the Palestinian villages and camps close to Jerusalem.

In Gaza the Israeli military helicopters bombarded civilian firms in al-Zeitoun area and this resulted to destroying the electricity station, several houses, trade shops and several workshops.