WEST BANK/GAZA/JERUSALEM/JORDAN/ISRAEL: ISRAEL HAS ATTACKED PALESTINIAN TARGETS IN THE WEST BANK AND THE GAZA STRIP

Record ID: 355741

  • Title: WEST BANK/GAZA/JERUSALEM/JORDAN/ISRAEL: ISRAEL HAS ATTACKED PALESTINIAN TARGETS IN THE WEST BANK AND THE GAZA STRIP
  • Date: 29th March 2001
  • Summary: (W5) HEBRON, WEST BANK (MARCH 29, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. GV HOUSES ON THE ABU SNEINEH HILLSIDE SHELLED BY ISRAELI TANKS; TANK SHELL HITTING HOUSE; AREA BEING SHELLED (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. LV ISRAELI SOLDIERS THROWING STUN GRENADE INTO ENTRANCE TO MARKET AREA IN THE CENTRE OF THE OLD CITY OF HEBRON (6 SHOTS) 0.16 3. SLV/SV/LV ISRAELI PATROL IN OLD M
  • Embargoed: 13th April 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAMALLAH, GILO CHECKPOINT AND HEBRON WEST BANK / GAZA / JERUSALEM / AMMAN, JORDAN/ TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA5VNSG4ET1P3NQVAPYNEBC8QY5
  • Story Text: Israel has attacked Palestinian targets in the West
    Bank and the Gaza Strip and signalled that more attacks were
    on the way.

    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has reacted saying the
    air strikes were the start of a 100-day military campaign
    against Palestinians.



    Israel said it launched air raids on the West Bank city
    of Ramallah and the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the latest
    Palestinian suicide bombings.

    Wednesday night's attacks on Force-17, Arafat's elite
    security force damaged Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's
    Gaza home.

    Witnesses said helicopter gunships fired missiles on Gaza
    and Ramallah, setting ablaze buildings and cars, knocking out
    electricity and damaging Arafat's Gaza home.

    Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel had no
    choice other than attack the what Israeli forces believe were
    the terrorist bases.

    But speaking at a meeting with the country's economists,
    Sharon reiterated that his main goal was to achieve peaceful
    solution to the conflict.

    "My government is committed to bringing security and peace
    to the citizens of Israel. This
    (the government's) approach is gradual one and a realistic
    one. According to this approach, the diplomatic process must
    lead to peace lasting for generations which will secure
    stability and security in our region, " Sharon said.

    The air strikes On the West Bank and Gaza followed an
    attack on Wednesday in which a suicide bomber killed himself
    and two Israeli teenagers at a bus stop in central Israel near
    the border with the West Bank. Sappers defused two other bombs
    on Wednesday.

    The military wing of Hamas, which has claimed
    responsibility for some of the bombings, says it has seven
    more suicide bombers lined up.

    Hamas leader Sheikh Ahman Yassin told Reuters in Gaza
    after the air strikes that Palestinian resistance will go on
    regardless of the Israeli bombardments.

    Israel, which faces a six-month-old Palestinian uprising,
    said there could be more raids in response to the bomb
    attacks.

    "This is an escalation," Arafat told reporters in Amman,
    the capital of Jordan, where he attended an Arab summit.

    "An escalation for the next 100 days that has been
    described as a military plan by (Israeli Chief of Staff)
    General (Shaul) Mofaz," Arafat added.

    On Thursday, Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops
    shot dead two Palestinian youths during a clash with about 50
    protesters hurling stones and burning petrol bombs at a Gaza
    army post.

    Palestinians denounced the raids as "state terrorism" and
    said they had set back any hopes of peace talks resuming
    without international mediation. They said Israel and Sharon's
    policies were to blame for the bloodshed.

    In Jerusalem and at checkpoints leading from the
    Palestinian territories, security has been beefed up. Israeli
    soldiers and police checked documents of Palestinians entering
    Jerusalem from the West Bank and conducted thorough searches
    of all vehicles arriving into the area.

    At least 356 Palestinians, 69 Israelis and 13 Israeli
    Arabs have been killed since violence erupted in late
    September after peace talks became deadlocked. Each side
    blames the other for the bloodshed.

    Yet another victim was buried in the West Bank town of
    Ramallah on Thursday (March 29).

    So'ad E'tewi was killed during the overnight raids by
    helicopter gunships.


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