Six Palestinians killed, one Israeli soldier killed, five wounded

Violent clashes took place yesterday at al-Breij camp in Gaza and Hebron when Palestinian resistance fighters confronted two incursion operations in which scores of Israeli soldiers backed by tanks and helicopters resulted in killing 6 Palestinians including a female child, the killing of one Israeli soldier and wounding of five.

The Israeli army said that one soldier was killed and other 6 wounded in al-Breij camp.

Saraya al-Quds ( al-Quds groups), the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement announced in a statement spoke of the killing of three members of Saraya al-Quds in al-Breij and Hebron. They are Nour Abu Aramaneh from al-Breij camp, Diab Shweiki from Hebron and Abdul Rahim al-Qawasmeh from Hebron. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, special advisor to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat held the Israeli government responsible for the escalation and the new massacre committed by the Israeli army.

Palestinian medical sources announced that the female child Lina Hassan Issa (three year old) died because she had a nervous shock and a great state of fears during an Israeli incursion operation in al-Breij camp.

A Palestinian security official said "the Israeli army killed one Palestinian today (yesterday) in an Arab area to the north of the city of Rafah to the south of Gaza near Mourag settlement crossroad.

In New York, the US Secretary Of State Colin Powell said during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart Shalom Silvan that "the only way for confronting the chairman of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat is through his isolation." Powell added "the US tried to initiate a dialogue with Arafat but it found out quickly that there is no use in talking to him."