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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| IDF kills 3 Palestinians |
| 2006-09-02 |
| TWO Palestinians were killed during an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen today while a third Palestinian was shot dead by troops near a Gaza border crossing, the army and witnesses said. In the first incident, witnesses said Israeli troops backed by helicopters entered the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun and engaged in heavy clashes with Palestinian gunmen there. Residents said the operation targeted the house of a member of Hamas. Two Palestinians, a father and son, were killed and at least four others were wounded, medics said. An army spokesman said Israeli special forces arrested two Hamas militants hiding in the house, naming them as Mohammed Tarabin and Younis Abdul Pita, who were wanted for firing rockets into Israel and setting explosives. During the raid, two suspected gunmen opened fire on the Israeli forces from within the building, prompting the troops to return fire, the army said. Both men were killed. The house was later demolished by an army bulldozer, residents said. At the same time, Israeli air strikes in a nearby part of Beit Hanoun wounded three Palestinians, two of them children, with shrapnel, medics said. In the second incident, the Israeli army confirmed it had shot and killed a man as he approached the Kisufim border crossing in central Gaza, but provided no other details about the circumstances. The deaths were the latest in an eight-week Israeli offensive in Gaza that started after militants abducted an Israeli soldier in a raid. More than 200 Palestinians, about half of them civilians, have been killed during the offensive. As well as seeking to recover the captured soldier, the operation is designed to prevent militants from firing makeshift rockets into Israel from northern Gaza. Rocket fire has resumed sporadically in recent days. Israel pulled troops and around 8000 settlers out of Gaza in August last year after 38 years of occupation. Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today said talks had started for for the release of an Israeli soldier held by militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israel. "Negotiations are under way between Palestinian and Israeli non-governmental organisations,'' Mr Mubarak told the leading state-owned daily Al-Ahram. "The Israeli side is waiting for an initiative from the Palestinians regarding Corporal Gilad Shalit so that they can finalise a proposal for the release of Palestinian women and children held in Israel.'' In Israel, however, a spokeswoman for the premier's office denied any official talks were taking place. "We do not negotiate with terrorists. We will do everything it takes to obtain the unconditional release of our abducted soldiers,'' Miri Eisin said, referring also to two Israeli troops captured on the border with Israel. |
| Posted by:Oztralian |
| #4 confirmed by the Israelis - strike on a "weapons facility"... prolly a "Homemade Rockets™" shop |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-09-02 15:19 |
| #3 Foxnews just had a breaking news alert: IAF strikes in the Jabaliya "refugee" camp in Gaza. @ Midnight Israel time |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-09-02 15:15 |
| #2 so sometimes they don't call to warn... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2006-09-02 09:34 |
| #1 Only those three was it? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-09-02 08:51 |