Seven dead in Israeli incursions

[Talon]

At least seven Palestinians have been killed and 25 others injured as Israeli forces pushed into the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza and two West Bank areas.

Scores of militants clashed with a column of tanks and armoured vehicles entering Jabaliya camp, after troops had surrounded it before dawn.

Five people were killed in the northern Gaza camp, including a 10-year-old boy.

Israeli troops deployed near Jabaliya on Wednesday to stop militants firing rockets at Israel, the army said.

Israeli military officials said its forces had penetrated the first row of houses in eastern Jabaliya - a heavily populated area with narrow alleys that leave soldiers vulnerable to ambushes.

The child, Munir Deqqes, was shot from a tank-mounted machine gun while he played outside his grandfather's house, witnesses said.

Troops also entered the West Bank town of Jericho, where they killed a member of the Palestinian militant group the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Later in the Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, a 15-year-old boy was knocked over and killed by an Israeli army jeep as it was pulling away from stone-throwers.

Some reports said it was after a funeral of the man who had died in Jericho.

An eighth Palestinian was killed near Israeli settlements in southern Gaza. The army said the unarmed man had walked into the no-go area near the Gush Katif bloc and that soldiers had shot him.

The flare-up in violence began in the early hours of Tuesday when Israeli aircraft killed 14 Hamas militants as they were training on a Gaza football field.

Denials

Israel has again threatened to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from the West Bank.

"There is no room for Arafat among us," said Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, who added that Mr Arafat is "closer than ever" to being removed by Israeli forces.

Mr Arafat, restricted in Ramallah by Israeli troops, denies Israel's allegations that he is to blame for suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.

Mr Shalom's remarks were the second Israeli threat made against Mr Arafat since a double suicide bombing in the Israeli town of Beersheba that killed 16 people last week.

Mr Arafat condemned the bombing, which was the work of the Hamas militant organisation.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said a security cabinet decision made a year ago to expel him remained valid.

However, he suggested this had not been done in order not to complicate Israel's planned disengagement in the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza Strip and West Bank have been occupied by Israel since 1967. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to pull all 7,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza and the troops that protect them as part of his disengagement plan.

Israel will maintain control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace. Four West Bank settlements are also to be evacuated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3640212.stm

[Talon]

Israeli raid kills Hamas militant

A Palestinian militant has been killed during the third day of an Israeli incursion into the northern Gaza Strip.

An Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile into the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza on Friday.

Abdel Aziz Ashkar, 34, a local Hamas chief, was killed, although it is not clear if he was killed in the missile strike or was hit by a tank shell.

Troops deployed near Jabaliya three days ago to stop the firing rockets into at Israel, the Israeli army said.

It said the missile had been fired into a field that had been used by militants to shoot makeshift Qassam rockets.

Four such rockets hit the town of Sderot in the western Negev on Friday, the army said. Three Israelis were treated for shock.

A complete closure was imposed on the Palestinian territories on Thursday, which is expected to remain in place at least until the end of the Jewish New Year period in late September.

Clashes

Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops for the third straight day in the Jabaliya area, Palestinian security sources and medics said.

Ten Palestinians were injured in a number of incidents, including those wounded in the missile strike, they said.

An Israeli soldier was moderately wounded by a Palestinian sniper in the camp, the army said.

At least seven Palestinians were killed and 25 injured in clashes with the Israeli troops on Thursday.

Scores of militants clashed with a column of tanks and armoured vehicles entering Jabaliya camp.

On Thursday, troops also entered the West Bank town of Jericho, where they killed a member of the Palestinian militant group al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

The flare-up in violence began in the early hours of Tuesday when Israeli aircraft killed 14 Hamas militants as they were training on a Gaza football field.

Settler call

The Gaza Strip and West Bank have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to pull all 7,000 Jewish settlers from Gaza and the troops that protect them as part of his disengagement plan.

Israel will maintain control of Gaza's borders, coastline and airspace. Four West Bank settlements are also to be evacuated.

Prominent hardline Israelis have warned of "civil war" over the planned pull-out.

In a petition published on Thursday, 185 right-wingers called on soldiers and police not to help evacuate the settlers, calling it "a crime against humanity".

"[The Israeli army] was created to defend us against enemies not to go after Jews and expel them from their motherland," the petition said.

"Soldiers, officers and policemen must listen to their national conscience and not participate in operations they are bound to regret for the rest of their life."

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3640212.stm

[Talon]

Israeli troops pull back in Gaza

Israeli troops have pulled back from the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya after a three-day raid aimed at stopping rocket attacks.

The army said it had merely redeployed its troops but they appear to have reduced their presence on the ground, particularly in the camp's vicinity.

Eight Palestinians were killed in clashes with the troops, including two young boys and man on his way to work.

Also among the dead was a senior leader of the militant group Hamas.

Doctors report that about 100 people were injured in the violence.

Despite the incursion, militants fired three rockets into southern Israel on Friday.

The BBC's Alan Johnston reports that random rocket attacks on civilian targets have become a central part of the strategy of the groups which are fighting Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip.

But the missiles are crudely made and they rarely cause serious injury or damage, although two Israelis were killed in rocket strikes during the summer, our correspondent adds.

This week's incursion - thought to be the biggest into the Gaza strip in months - came after twin suicide bombings killed 16 people in the Israeli town of Beersheba on 31 August.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3646806.stm

[Talon]

Three die in Jenin missile strike

At least three Palestinian militants have been killed in an Israeli missile strike in Jenin in the West Bank.

The attack came as the men drove by car through the city, a stronghold of Palestinian militant groups.

The dead included senior al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades member Mahmoud Khalifa who was the target of an Israeli missile attack in August.

Mr Khalifa is thought to be the chief lieutenant of the local al-Aqsa leader Zakaria Zubeidi.

The other two slain militants were named as Amjad Husni and Yamin Abu al-Hassan.

In a statement to AFP news agency, Mr Zubeidi immediately vowed to carry out revenge attacks for the killings.

"This attack will not pass in silence and our response will be in Tel Aviv in the next 24 hours," he said.

Reports quoting witnesses said the missile might have been launched by an unpiloted Israeli aircraft. The army has not commented.

During four years of Palestinian-Israeli violence, Israel has killed dozens of Palestinian militants as well as bystanders in air strikes.

Jenin is both the birthplace and stronghold of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Aratat's Fatah faction.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3652704.stm

[Barnacle Battlefront]

Israeli raid kills Hamas militant

good. hamas are very sick people. i read a book about them yesterday and they start teaching FIVE YEAR OLDS that they have to kiill israelis. that is just sick. they also had what the mothers of these children think, and one lady was proud that her FOUR YEAR OLD son wanted to buy a pistol and kill all Jews. people like that just........... ARGH. i can't even find the words to say how disgusted that makes me

[Talon]

Gunmen release top Gaza official

A top Palestinian security official has been freed unharmed hours after being abducted by gunmen in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses say.

Brigadier General Mohammad al-Batrawi was released near the Nuseirat refugee camp, the witnesses said.

The brigadier is head of the financial surveillance department of the Palestinian security forces.

The gunmen are believed to have been members of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah political movement.

It is not known what the demands of the gunmen were and whether they were met in any way.

Witnesses said earlier on Thursday the attackers surrounded Brig Gen Batrawi's car in Gaza City and forced him to drive off.

In July, a spate of kidnappings of officials and clashes in Gaza and the West Bank precipitated a major crisis in the Palestinian Authority.

Behind the crisis was a power struggle between the "old guard" of the Palestinian Authority led by Yasser Arafat, and a younger generation of reformists jostling for position as Israel prepares to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.

The latest kidnapping can only serve to fuel concerns about the general security situation in Gaza, the BBC's Alan Johnston reports.

Loyal

It is not clear who was behind the latest kidnap, but it is understood that the gunmen were linked to Mr Arafat's Fatah movement, which dominates the Palestinian government, our correspondent says.

He adds that gunmen with connections to Fatah have taken this kind of action earlier this year in protest against alleged corruption within the government's ranks.

The unit that Mr Batrawi works for is largely loyal to Mr Arafat, who is seen by all as symbolising the Palestinian struggle.

But the veteran leader is coming under increased pressure to reform, correspondents say.

In a rare admission last month, he told a meeting of MPs that "unacceptable mistakes" had been made under his leadership.

A wave of abductions sparked by Mr Arafat's nomination of a close relative to head the Palestinian security services led to Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei offering his resignation in July.

Mr Arafat has pledged to back Mr Qurei in his attempts to tackle the security situation.

Job dispute?

However, it may turn out that the latest kidnapping was not motivated by political differences, our correspondent says.

He says it may be that the gunmen had some personal score to settle.

There are also reports that the kidnapping may have been linked to an alleged dispute over jobs in the Palestinian security services.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3662980.stm

[Talon]

W Bank women 'abort bomb mission'

Two Palestinian women alleged to have been planning to blow themselves up in Tel Aviv have surrendered to the Israeli authorities.

Israel says cousins Adalah and Lina Jawabra plotted an attack during this week's Jewish New Year holiday.

Relatives of the women said they both denied involvement but had given themselves up after the Israeli army threatened to destroy their homes.

They surrendered at a checkpoint near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The two young women, both 21 and students at al-Najjah university, were taken into custody on Wednesday.

Israeli military sources say they have confessed to plotting the twin attack under the direction of a wanted militant, who was killed by Israeli forces during a raid into Nablus on the same day.

They identified the militant as Hani al-Aqqad of the leftist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

'Threat against homes'

Lina Jawabra's brother Ayman is quoted as saying Israeli troops came to the family home in Asira Shamaliya, near Nablus, early on Wednesday.

The troops demanded to see his sister, he said, telling him she was wanted for security reasons and might be involved in planning an attack in Israel.

He said Lina's and Adalah's fathers were able to find them at the al-Najjah campus and delivered them to the checkpoint.

Another report quoting family members said the troops had first searched the campus and went to the families' homes when they could not find the two women.

Relatives quoted by AFP news agency said troops had given them 24 hours to turn over the women or see their homes destroyed.

In Nablus itself, about 8,000 Palestinians packed the centre of town for the funerals of Hani al-Aqqad, four other al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militants and a young schoolgirl who died during Wednesday's raids.

Together with the killing of four Palestinians by Israeli forces in the northern city of Jenin, yesterday was the bloodiest day in the West Bank since the massive Israeli incursions of 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3662052.stm

[Talon]

Israel detains three UK Muslims

Three British Muslim women have been arrested and ordered to leave Israel, their lawyers tell the BBC.

The women say they came to the Middle East to support a legitimate charity working with Palestinian children in the occupied territories.

They say they have not been told why they were arrested, but are being targeted because they are Muslims.

The trio are not allowed to leave Jerusalem and must leave Israel by Monday, their lawyers said.

The women, all Muslims in their 20s, were allegedly held in a raid on their hotel in Jerusalem's old city involving 20 security personnel.

They have all now been released, and it is understood they face no charges.

British consular officials have been in touch with them and say they are fine. The Foreign Office is discussing the case with the Israeli authorities, but it could not confirm why the three were arrested nor give any personal details about them.

Last month Israel ordered the expulsion of Briton Ewa Jasiewicz, 26, a journalist for magazine Red Pepper.

The authorities accused Ms Jasiewicz of involvement with the International Solidarity Movement, who organise human shield operations to protect civilians in the West Bank and Gaza.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3656966.stm

[Erikl]

Here's why I never trust the BBC.

It is known that it usually tells BS in case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts (and other cases).

The women say they came to the Middle East to support a legitimate charity

Yes, we already know the terms the BBC use... "legitimate charity" stands for giving money to Hamas and PLO through charity.

The authorities accused Ms Jasiewicz of involvement with the International Solidarity Movement, who organise human shield operations to protect civilians in the West Bank and Gaza.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the IDF's responsibility to keep civilians, any civilians, from getting hurt?

If I was that journalist, I would thank the authorities for saving me from my madness.

What the hell was he thinking - walking infront of live fire?

They say they have not been told why they were arrested, but are being targeted because they are Muslims.

More accurately, they were mistrusted because they were BRITISH muslims, not just muslims (as Israel has a huge muslim population, there is not logic in banning muslims from going in or out of this country).

If you follow the news closely, you probably know about the two British muslims who suicide bomb in Israel last year, near the American ambassy.

It is nothing but natural that Israel would suspect British muslims who come to give charity to terrorist organizations. Even if it does turned out to be a mistake, I can understand the pressure that the security forces are under to prevent another such event.

But ofcourse you won't see any reminder of this in the BBC article, because BBC is known for it's honest reporting, especially when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Edited September 17, 2004 by Erikl

[Seraphina]

A little better known for it that you ar Erikle

[Barnacle Battlefront]

it's the same here erikl. our tv stations only show the bad side of israelis. come to think of it they show the bad side of everyone from the middle east. i'm sick of the way that most people seem to think that because we live in the western world that some how makes us better. *shrugs* makes no sense but then again my opinion doesn't count for another 3 years.

[Erikl]

A little better known for it that you ar Erikle

269959[/snapback]

You might think I'm biased, but at least I respect the truth, and seek it.

Something that can't be said about the BBC.

If it was telling the truth, honestly, I had no problem.

But if you knew anything about this conflict, god the amount of BS the BBC reports... no wonder it won a medal from dishonsetrepoting.com

Edited September 17, 2004 by Erikl

[Velikovsky]

It's time for the world to leave Israel alone. It's their country, they have the established legal government. The entire world needs to step back and simply say "Do what you want, just please end this problem. We will make sure there will be no outside interventions."

This is an Israeli problem. The rest of the world for years now has been going on and on about a peaceful solution. While the world interferes the Israelis are dying. Let's all mind our own business and let them solve the problem.