You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Middle East
Israelis continue ripping into gunny camps
2002-03-03
  • Israeli forces pushed deeper into two Palestinian refugee camps yesterday as the toll from the two-day raid reached 19 dead and more than 200 injured. At least five Palestinians were killed yesterday, said Palestinian officials - including a 9-year-old girl they said was hit by fire from an Israeli helicopter. But the Israeli commander of the operation, Brig. Gen. Gershon Itzhak, said most of the Palestinian casualties were gunmen "exchanging fire with our forces." Itzhak put no time limit on the sweep that began Thursday morning, saying only that it would continue "until we fulfill our mission - to get terrorist suspects, their weapons and arsenals." Itzhak said the goal of the sweep, the largest since the Palestinian uprising began 17 months ago, is to let terrorists "know they have no safe house anywhere."

    During house-to-house searches, Israeli forces destroyed or damaged several houses, including the home of Nasser Awais, local commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a group linked to Arafat's Fatah movement that claimed responsibility for many recent attacks on Israelis. Hundreds of Palestinian gunmen were reported trapped in the Jenin camp, vowing to fight to the death. One of them told a reporter by telephone that his comrades had mined alleyways with bombs and strapped on explosive belts to make a last stand. "We want to die together," he said.

    The Palestinians said all planned talks with Israel were suspended - and urged international intervention to end the escalation. "I call upon the whole world to act quickly before a state of chaos engulfs the whole Middle East region," PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat told reporters in Ramallah.
    You knew this was coming. As soon as they sit down for "security talks" people start exploding and the Israelis fire up the helis. It's predictable as drool on a baby. And the other predictable part is that Yasser hollers for "the whole world" to act quickly before something terrible happens...
    • Posted by:Fred Pruitt

    00:01