Explosion in Beit Hanoun kills three Americans
Three American security guards were killed and a fourth was injured when an explosive implanted on the roadside in Beit Hanoun town went off in a car procession carrying American diplomats. This was the first incident of its kind in the Palestinian territories since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the incident and announced readiness to cooperate with any investigation committee into the explosion, while most of the Palestinian groups denied any link to the explosion, stressing that their conflict is with the Israeli occupation.
The US vowed to go after those who caused this incident and to bring them to justice and called on the Palestinian authority to fight against resistance groups calling on US citizens to leave Gaza. It also urged the Americans in the West Bank to be cautious.
The Israeli radio said that three of the guards were killed in the explosion. The radio added that the procession included officials from the office of John Wolf, the American envoy to the Middle East who is currently in the USA, and officials from the CIA.
A short time after the explosion, the Israeli tanks incurred two kilometers into Beit Hanoun to the north of Gaza in the territories under the Palestinian control.
Meantime, the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat condemned the attack and offered his condolences to President George W. Bush. He said in a statement that he "strongly condemns and denounces targeting the American observers who are carrying out their mission for security and peace." The statement added that Arafat gave instructions to form a joint investigation committee with the American side and the Quartet to uncover this crime. The statement said that the Palestinian President "offered his heart- felt condolences to President George Bush and families of the victims."
The Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qrei condemned the attack. He told journalists in Ramullah "we express our deep regret and anger over the incident which we denounce and condemn," adding "we offer our condolences for the families of the victims." Meantime, the "people's resistance committees" in Palestine in a statement denied to have any links to the explosion, stressing that its conflict is only with "the Israeli enemy." The committees which include former members in the Palestinian groups especially in Fatah movement said it denies any relations to this incident adding "our conflict is only with the Zionist enemy without getting involved in minor controversial issues." An unidentified person claiming to speak on behalf of the "people's resistance committee" announced said earlier in a telephone call with the AFP that these committees carried out the explosion which targeted the American procession.
For its part Hamas movement denied any link to the attack and the same denial was expressed Nafez Azzam, a leading figure of the Islamic Jihad in Palestine; and by the Democratic Front For the Liberation of Palestine.
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said that one Palestinian was killed by Israeli occupation soldiers in Rameen town near Toulkarem.