World Tribune.com

NextCard Visa

Israel: Raids kill 20 Palestinians, stop suicide bombing

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, October 22, 2001

TEL AVIV Ñ Israel has launched a military offensive in the West Bank.

Israeli officials said the military has arrested scores of Palestinians and killed at least 20 of them in raids in several Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The officials said the result was the foiling of at least one Palestinian suicide bombing.

The offensive was said to have begun two weeks ago and included a combined task force of armored units, commandos, paramilitary border police and the air force. But officials said the offensive was intensified last week in the aftermath of the assassination of former Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi by a Palestinian group.

"The activities were conducted from Jenin in the north, through Tulkarm, Kalkilya, Ramallah and Bethlehem," Brig. Gen. Gershon Yitzhak, head of Israeli forces in the West Bank, said.

Yitzhak said Israeli forces killed 20 Palestinian insurgents, who included members of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. The brigadier, who said the PA was informed of the Israeli military raids, denied Palestinian reports that women were also killed in the operation.

In Bethlehem, Israeli attack helicopters fired missiles near Arafat's headquarters. Palestinian sources said 15 people were injured in the attack. Israeli sources said the helicopter operation was meant to stop a Palestinian shooting attack against nearby Jerusalem.

Israeli military sources said six Israeli soldiers were injured in the offensive. One soldier was said to have been seriously injured. Israeli troops have remained on the outskirts of many of the West Bank cities. Israeli and PA forces also clashed in the Gaza Strip. For his part, Arafat consulted with Arab leaders regarding the Israeli military operation.

Print this Article Print this Article Email this article Email this article Subscribe to this Feature Free Headline Alerts