Israel invades Gaza
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Tuesday, April 17, 2001
GAZA — Israel has invaded Palestinian-controlled areas of the Gaza
Strip and divided the area into three zones.
The invasion by air, sea and ground forces was the largest Israeli
military action in the more than six-month-old war with the Palestinians and
appears to effectively end the rule by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat over the Gaza Strip. Arafat arrived in Cairo from Amman as the
Israeli counteroffensive began.
Israeli officials said the invasion was prompted by a Palestinian mortar
attack on the Israeli city of Sderot on late Monday. At least five 82 mm
mortars were fired toward Sderot in two salvos in a neighborhood named after
the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who launched a reconciliation effort
with Arafat in 1993. The mortars have a range of 1.4 kilometers or nearly a
mile.
After the Palestinian attack, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened his
ministerial security committee and close to midnight, Israeli attack
helicopters and tanks were launching a counteroffensive against PA positions
throughout the Gaza Strip. The operation, which lasted four hours, began in
the northern Gaza Strip and extended to the south.
In all, seven PA installations were targeted. Israeli forces did not
enter Gaza City, the de facto capital of the PA, or any other Palestinian
cities.
Israeli military commanders described the operation as clean and said
the army has plans to capture additional Palestinian territory if the
mini-war continues.
"We are not talking about an occupation," Israeli military spokesman
Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri said. "We are talking about a takeover. In some cases,
our forces entered several hundred meters or one kilometer [in PA-controlled
areas]. How long will this be? How long it takes. It could be days or more.
We want quiet."
Palestinian sources said Israel used fighter-jets and AH-64A attack
helicopters to bomb PA security installations. These included the offices of
PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan and those of Arafat's Force 17 praetorian
guard. Both agencies have been accused of carrying out recent Palestinian
attacks against Israel.
By dawn, the Gaza Strip was divided into three Israeli-controlled zones.
The exception was Gaza City, which remains under PA control. Palestinian
sources said a PA officer was killed and 26 others were injured during the
Israeli operation. Israeli ministers said Sharon does not intend to reoccupy
Palestinian areas of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians forces put up little resistance to the Israeli invasion,
despite a televised appeal from PA secretary-general Tayeb Abdul Rahim.
Arafat did not directly address the Palestinians.
On Tuesday, the Islamic opposition group, Hamas, claimed responsibility
for the mortar attack on Sderot. PA intelligence chief Amin Hindi justified
the mortar fire in an interview with PA radio on Tuesday.
In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israeli forces exchanged fire on the
outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli tanks fired shells toward the Bethlehem
suburbs of Bet Jallah and El Khader.
Tuesday, April 17, 2001
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