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Israeli forces punch into Palestinian areas after sniper attacks

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, May 7, 2001

RAMALLAH — Israeli troops have punched into Palestinian areas south of Jerusalem.

Israeli ground and armored units entered the Bethlehem-suburb of Bet Jallah for several hours on Sunday. The incursion was amid clashes between Israeli and Palestinian troops in the area used by Palestinian snipers to target Israeli motorists.

Witnesses said Israeli tanks pounded Palestinian Authority positions while soldiers engaged in a shootout with Palestinian forces. They said an Israeli force commandeered several buildings used by Palestinian snipers.

By Sunday noon [0500 EST], Israeli troops withdrew from Bet Jallah. Palestinian sources said a Fatah combatant was killed and 12 others were injured during the battle.

The Israeli incursion was regarded as the first into Bet Jallah since the mini-war erupted in late September. Last week, the U.S. State Department criticized an earlier Israeli military incursion into the Gaza city of Rafah near the Egyptian border.

Meanwhile, Palestinian gunners fired four mortars toward the Israeli city of Sderot on Sunday. The mortars landed on a road near the city and nobody was reported injured.

It was the first mortar attack on Sderot in about a month and comes after several pledges by Arafat to stop the attacks. Hours earlier, Palestinians fired mortars at the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in the Gaza city of Rafah have demonstrated against Arafat's orders to halt the mortar attacks and disband Palestinian resistance committees. On Saturday, hundreds of Fatah and Islamic militants participated in the protest.

On Sunday morning, a bomb exploded in the Tel Aviv suburb of Petach Tikvah. Four Israelis were reportedly injured.

The bombing was reported hours after what Palestinians asserted was a series of Israeli attacks. On Saturday, Israeli snipers were said to have assassinated an Islamic commander and destroyed the headquarters of a Palestinian intelligence agency.

Palestinian sources said Israeli assassins killed Abdul Khalil Ismail, 37. Ismail, a resident of the Bethlehem-area village of Artas, was killed in front of his home by 20 bullets. His daughter was slightly injured.

Ismail was said to have organized several cells for the Iranian backed-Islamic Jihad group. The cells operated in the Bethlehem area and two members were recently caught. The sources said one of those detained told Israeli interrogators that Ismail had obtained chemicals for bombing attacks.

Near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, four Palestinian fighters from the ruling Fatah movement and the Islamic opposition Hamas group were injured when a bomb exploded in a mysterious explosion. One of those injured was said to have been involved in Palestinian bombings of Israeli cities.

In another development, Israeli tanks destroyed the headquarters of the PA General Intelligence agency. Eight Palestinians were said to have been injured in the attack on the headquarters on Saturday, PA intelligence chief Col. Tawfik Tirawi is said to be responsible for Palestinian attacks in the Bethlehem area.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat said Israel threatens the entire Palestinian people. Arafat called for an international conference to discuss the mini-war between Israel and the PA.

Monday, May 7, 2001


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