TEL AVIV Ñ Four Israelis have been injured in a shooting attack near the Lebanese border.
The attack took place on Tuesday afternoon outside an Israeli kibbutz in the western Galilee. Authorities said several gunmen sprayed semi-automatic fire toward Israeli motorists.
Israel Radio said two unidentified insurgents were killed by Israeli security forces. The radio did not identify the attackers, but said a large force of soldiers and police Ñ backed by helicopters Ñ are searching for the gunmen.
Earlier, Israeli officials warned of plans by the Iranian-backed Hizbullah to launch what they termed would be a massive attack on civilians along the northern border with Lebanon. Hizbullah has pledged to support the Palestinians in their insurgency war against Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli military forces raided Palestinian refugee camps
in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers,
conducted a search-and-destroy operation in the West Bank refugee camp of El
Amari and the Gaza refugee camp of Jabalya. The troops searched for
Palestinian insurgents and weaponry.
Palestinian sources said 24 Palestinians were killed in fighting
overnight Tuesday. They said 17 of the casualties were in Jabalya, located
north of Gaza City. Most of the casualties, they said, were Palestinian
Authority security officers. Jabalya is regarded as a stronghold of the
Islamic opposition group Hamas.
Israeli military sources said troops withdrew from Jabalya by early
Tuesday. They said the operations are meant to foil Palestinian suicide
bombings and end by the time U.S. peace envoy Anthony Zinni arrives in
Israel on Thursday.
Israeli naval forces also attacked Palestinian facilities in the Gaza
city of Dir El Balah. Several Palestinians were killed in the strike. At the
same time, Israeli fighter-jets bombed PA facilities in Gaza City.
In Ramallah, Israeli troops entered the West Bank city on early Tuesday
from three directions in what was regarded as the biggest operation in PA
areas. The troops captured several suspects and what military sources
described as weapons factories.
Palestinian combatants responded by firing rocket-propelled grenades at
the Israeli forces. They also fired at Israeli workers near the Jewish
settlement of Kiryat Sefer. One of the workers was killed.
PA Chairman Yasser Arafat was in Ramallah during the Israeli military
operation. Palestinian sources said Israeli troops fired toward Arafat's
offices and a guard was seriously injured.
On Monday, Hizbullah combatants attacked an Israeli position in the
northern border town of Raja. Earlier, Hizbullah gunners fired toward
Israeli
warplanes that patrolled the border area. No casualties were reported.
