Mofaz order resumption of assassination, Palestinian resistance vows to escalate

Palestinian sources in Gaza said that the Israeli warplanes continue flying in the airspace of the sector, amid reports of the readiness of the occupation forces to attack Gaza during the coming hours, after the end of Nathania operation which resulted in killing five persons and injuring other 40, an operation which was claimed by the Islamic Jihad movement.

The Israeli occupation forces on Monday evening imposed a tightened security belt on Toulkarem area in the West Bank, from which the executor of the attack came, and deployed its military barriers on the roads linking it with its villages and other West Bank governorates. The occupation authorities also announced the utmost state of alert in all parts of Israel.

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon agreed during his meeting on Monday evening with senior security leaders in Israel on a series of security measures in reaction to the Nathania operation.

The Israeli defense minister Shaoul Mofaz gave his order to the army to start strikes as from Monday evening targeting senior leading figures of the Islamic Jihad Movement, and stated to resume assassination operations and launch raids against the West Bank, and to tighten restrictions against the moves of the Palestinians in the occupied lands.

The Israeli media did not rule out that leaders of the Palestinian resistance groups will be specific targets for revenge Israeli operations.

Mofaz also said he will try to get the approval "to resume the policy of demolishing the houses of the Palestinian bombers, that Israel had frozen after embarking to ease down policy with the Palestinians in February, considering that this measure (of demolishing houses) is necessary to make all those who think of resuming operations understand that they have to pay the price."