RAMALLAH Ñ Israeli fighter-jets have attacked Palestinian positions
in several areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the wake of the latest
Palestinian suicide bombing in the Jewish state.
Palestinian sources said Israeli F-16s attacked and heavily damaged
government buildings in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on late Friday.
They said two missiles were fired by the U.S.-made jets at buildings that
housed the PA intelligence service.
F-16s were also reported to have attacked Palestinian Authority
installations in the Gaza city of Khan Yunis. A government building was said
to have been heavily damaged.
On Saturday, Palestinian gunners fired at Israeli installations in the
Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said a Kassam-1 short-range rocket Ñ one of
three fired Ñ damaged an Israeli military facility in the Erez terminal on
the northern tip of the strip.
The Israeli attack came in the wake of a Palestinian suicide bombing in
Tel Aviv on Friday. About 20 Israelis were injured when a bomber blew
himself up in a Tel Aviv cafe. The bomber was said to have arrived from
Tulkarm.
PA officials said they would not impose new security measures to stop
attacks on Israel. They said
the Israeli military incursion does not allow for any Palestinian campaign
against insurgents.
"The PA is paralyzed, for Israeli tanks are only 70 meters away from the
presidential compound and are surrounding us from all sides," PA Cabinet
secretary Ahmed Abdul Rahman said. "What can the leadership do in a
situation when the Israeli rifle is pointed at our head? The leadership is
unable to take any measures whatsoever."
In Washington, U.S. officials said the Bush adminstration is preparing
to impose sanctions on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat and the Fatah movement.
They said President George Bush was outraged by Arafat's denial of
complicity in an attempt to smuggle weapons from Iran to the PA.
"Ordering up weapons that were intercepted on a boat headed for that
part of the world is not part of fighting terror," Bush said on Friday.
That's enhancing terror."
