RAMALLAH — In the first such operation in years, Israel has raided a
Palestinian Authority prison and captured leading insurgents.
In a 10-hour showdown, Israeli special forces, supported by helicopters
and main battle tanks, raided the West Bank town of Jericho and entered a
Palestinian prison to remove several leading insurgents harbored by the PA.
Three PA security officers were killed and three others were injured in a
shootout between Israeli and Palestinian troops on Tuesday.
"The mission was planned in enough time to ensure the results," Amos
Gilad, director of the Defense Ministry's political-military division, said.
The targets of the operation were six leading Palestinian insurgents
detained since 2002 and prepared for release by the Hamas-dominated PA. The
insurgents included Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
secretary-general Ahmed Saadat and Fatah operative Fuad Shubaki.
Saadat and his deputy, Ahed Ulmeh, were accused by Israel of ordering
the assassination of an Israeli minister in 2001. Shubaki was said to be the
facilitator of an Iranian weapons ship to the PA.
"Both Ahmad Saadat and Ahed Ulmeh continued to guide and direct the
organization's terror activity from within the jail," an Israeli security
source said. "The location in which they where jailed served as a center for
terror activity. From this location, they both recruited terrorists and
directed attacks against Israel."
Military sources said that in all 1,000 soldiers were deployed in the
Jericho operation. They said about 300 Palestinians were arrested and by
Wednesday, all but 100 were released.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas declared Britain and the United States
responsible for the detention of the six Palestinian prisoners. Abbas cut
short his European tour amid the Israeli operation.
"The American and the British side bear full responsibility for any harm
to the lives," Abbas said in a statement.
In 2002, the PA had convicted Saadat and Shubaki and detained them in
Jericho under the supervision of British and U.S. observers. On Tuesday, the
observers were ordered by their governments to leave the West Bank city out
of fear for their safety.
"For at least the past two years, we've been telling the Palestinians,
'Look, you've got obligations to provide for the security of these monitors.
There are threats to their safety. We need you to take certain actions,'"
State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said in Washington. "And
finally it got to the point last week where we sent a letter to the
Palestinians saying if you don't take really effective action, we're going
to have to withdraw."
Minutes after the observers left, Israeli special operations units
surrounded the PA prison and called on the six prisoners to surrender. PA
police opened fire and Israeli troops used a bulldozer and fired missiles to
enter the facility.
"We couldn't wait one more minute," Israeli Defense Minister Shaul
Mofaz. "That's why reacted with such speed."
By nightfall, about 200 PA officers, wearing only underpants,
surrendered and left the prison. Saadat, Shubaki and four other PFLP members
were taken away. Israeli officials said the government has not decided
whether to prosecute the captives.
Palestinian insurgents responded with missile strikes against Israel --
most of which fell in northern Gaza -- and a spate of abductions of
Westerners in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, Fatah gunmen
attacked Western offices and torched the British Council.
"One of the telephone calls I received concerned the kidnappings,"
Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni told Army Radio on Wednesday.
The United Nations and ICRC said they would withdraw their foreign
personnel from the PA territories. The PA crossing point with Egypt at
Rafah, monitored by the European Union, was closed on Tuesday evening.
"Any attempt to harm our comrades will make all British and Americans a
target by our cells," the PFLP said.