- Title: VARIOUS: SIX PALESTINIANS KILLED IN SUSPECTED ISRAELI ATTACK ARE BURIED
- Date: 1st August 2001
- Summary: (W3) JENIN, WEST BANK (JULY 30, 2001) (REUTERS) FOR DETAILED SHOTLIST OF SHOTS 1 -10 SEE PROD 8080/01 T7356) 1. DAYLIGHT SHOTS OF PEOPLE STANDING AT SCENE OF EXPLOSION WITH BOY CARRYING A PIECE OF DEBRIS; DEBRIS 2. PEOPLE CHECKING OUT DAMAGED VAN; SCU BLOOD AND DAMAGE INSIDE VAN 3. BOY HOLDING BLOOD SPLATTERED DOOR OF CAR (W4)
- Embargoed: 16th August 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JENIN, GIVAT ZEEV AND RAMALLAH, WEST BANK / JERUSALEM / GAZA
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA4LPFS5HMPWQ22E9IABJVAGSDG
- Story Text: Six Palestinians killed in a suspected attack in the
West Bank have been buried. The men were all on Israel's
most-wanted list.
As the cycle of violence gathered apace, a bomb exploded
in a Jerusalem supermarket and Israeli helicopter gunships
fired missiles at a Palestinian police headquarters in Gaza
City. An ultra-orthodox Jew was later stabbed and seriously
wounded in the old city of Jerusalem.
Israeli government spokesman Raanan Gissin on Monday
(July 30) denied that the Israelis had anything to do with the
deaths of the six Palestinians, claiming the men had blown
themselves up.
He said:
"It's been common practice, by the way, in the past
several weeks for the Palestinian authority to pin any death,
whether from accident or for other reason on Israeli security
persons, but I can tell you for certain that this particular
incident had nothing to do with Israeli security forces. As I
said, occupational hazard, if you play with explosives, you
get burnt."
Initial reports had referred to the Palestinians in Jenin
being killed by tank fire, but later reports spoke of an
explosion. The Palestinians appeared to have been concealed in
a yard used to park buses and cars.
The Israeli army said it would not comment on the
incident. In recent weeks the army has claimed responsibility
for incidents in which it tracked and killed Palestinian
activists. The government has described such killings as a
policy to intercept militants involved in attacks against
Israelis.
Palestinian officials said Israeli forces have killed more
than 40 Palestinian activists in "assassination" operations
since the start of the uprising.
Hours later a bomb went off in a downtown Jerusalem
supermarket causing panic among nearby shoppers.
Tension remains high in Jerusalem following the discovery
of a car laden with bombs in the parking lot of an apartment
building in Pisgat Zeev on Sunday (July 29) and a
booby-trapped water melon in a bus on Friday (July 28).
The circle of violence continued in Gaza when an Israeli
bulldozer demolished a plastics factory and a nearby orchard
near the Karni crossing. The Israeli army has a practice of
demolishing buildings that they believe could provide easy
cover for snipers.
The six Palestinian members of Fatah killed in the
explosion in the West Bank town of Jenin were buried in an
emotional ceremony within a few hours of their deaths.
Hundreds of mourners gathered to carry the bodies of the six
men through the streets of Jenin.
Israeli helicopter gunships later fired at least three
missiles at a Palestinian police headquarters in Gaza City,
witnesses said.
A Reuters correspondent said he saw three or four missiles
fired from a helicopter. White and grey smoke billowed over
the area where the missiles landed. Several people appear to
have been injured in the attack.
Palestinian cabinet minister Hassan Asfour condemned the
Israeli attack, saying this would do little to bring stability
to the area. He said:
"I think this is new evidence that the Israeli government
is continuing the war against Palestinians and the Israeli
side is taking a position to continue in this aggression to
destroy the infrastructure for the Palestinian Authority."
But Israeli communications minister Rubi Rivlin defended
the missile attack, saying that Israel had a right and a duty
to attack Palestinians in order to protect the safety of
Israeli citizens.
He said:
"It's not only our right, it's our duty to protect our
citizens, to protect the people of Israel, to protect towns
and cities all over." He added: "They (Palestinians) have to
understand that the moment they will operate, we will have to
retaliate. Those are the rules of the game, there are no other
rules."
In yet another outbreak of violence an ultra-orthodox Jew
was stabbed and seriously wounded in the old city of
Jerusalem.
The wounded man was seen by bystanders trying to stagger
on towards the Damascus Gate before collapsing and being taken
to hospital by ambulance.
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