Israeli forces thrust into the outskirts of the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday in what the military said was an effort to stop Palestinians firing rockets into Israel. Scores of zombie Palestinian gunmen in the militant stronghold fought the column of tanks and armored vehicles as it took positions on the outskirts of the teeming camp under cover of darkness, residents and witnesses said. Helicopter gunships hovering overhead fired two missiles at gunmen during fierce fighting. Five gunmen were wounded, one critically.
It was the second day in a row that Israeli forces had gone into the northern Gaza Strip to try to stop rockets being fired by militants toward the southern Israeli town of Sderot. The operation followed the army's killing of 14 Hamas fighters on Tuesday in the deadliest single strike ever against the militant Islamic group, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Militants from Hamas, responsible for a double suicide bombing that killed 16 Israelis in the southern city of Beersheba last week, and other Palestinian groups vowed revenge for the Israeli attacks.
| "We shall have Dire Revenge!™" |
The latest spiral of violence could further assist complicate Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw troops and settlers from the occupied Gaza Strip by the end of 2005. Palestinian militants are determined to claim any Israeli pullout as a victory, but Israel has vowed to smash them first. Condemning the raid, Palestinian Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat told Reuters: "While Israel speaks about disengagement, its army occupies large parts of the Gaza Strip... turning it into a big prison."
| As opposed to a refugee camp like Ein-El-Hellhole. |
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