3.03.03

Gaza, 02 mar 2003 - 15:46

Mo, incursione militari israeliani a Gaza, due morti


Questa notte l'esercito israeliano è entrato nel campo profughi di Khan Younis, nella parte meridionale della striscia di Gaza dando vita a battaglia durante la quale un palestinese di 23 anni è stato ucciso mentre un altro uomo di 5, è stato trovato morto in casa. Almeno una trentina i feriti, fra cui due militari. I soldati, appoggiati dagli elicotteri da combattimento, sono arrivati con una trentina di carri armati. Durante l'operazione hanno demolito una decina di case e abbattito un edifico di 10 piani, che secondo l'esercito veniva usato dai cecchini per prendere di mira l'adiacente colonia ebraica di Gush Katif. Un centinaio di palestinesi sono rimasti senza casa. L'operazione è stata decisa dall'esercito a seguito della morte di un soldato, colpito qualche giorno fa dai cecchini

In giornata si sono insediati i ministri del nuovo governo di destra di Ariel Sharon. Il nuovo ministro degli esteri Silvan Shalom, che ha preso il posto di Benjamin Netanyahu, passato alle finanze, ha espresso la disponiblità a sfruttare "ogni opportunità" per rilanciare il processo di pace coi palestinesi.(red)


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Khan Yunes, 02 mar 2003 - 18:30

MO, bambino palestinese ucciso dopo raid Striscia di Gaza


C'è anche un bambino palestinese di nove anni tra le vittime del raid israeliano avvenuto a Khan Yunes nella Striscia di Gaza. Il bambino è stato colpito alla testa da un proiettile sparato da soldati israeliani. Lo hanno detto fonti ospedaliere palestinesi. Il ragazzino è stato colpito mentre giocava fra le rovine lasciate dall'attacco delle forze israeliane. Il fatto è avvenuto nel primo pomeriggio.

Complessivamente il raid avvanuto oggi a Khan Yunes ha fatto tre morti e circa 40 feriti.(red)


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Gerusalemme, 03 mar 2003 - 08:17


Israele, blitz notturno a Gaza: sette morti



L'incursione notturno israeliana nel campo di El Bureij, nel sud della striscia di Gaza, nel corso della quale sette palestinesi - fra cui un ragazzino di 13 anni - sono rimasti uccisi, "è terminata, e noi abbiamo raggiunto i nostri obiettivi". Lo ha dichiarato alla radio militare israeliana il comandante dell'unità d'elite 'Givati' dell'esercito che ha condotto l'operazione, tale colonnello Ron, che per il resto, per motivi di sicurezza, è rimasto anonimo.

L'ufficiale ha dichiarato inoltre: "Non sono al corrente della morte di una bambino e di una donna. So invece che abbiamo abbattuto terroristi armati durante un combattimento che è proseguito tutta la notte".

Il col. Rona ha inoltre dichiarato che "due soldati israeliani sono rimasti feriti in modo lievo dallo scoppio di granate". (red)


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Gaza, 03 mar 2003 - 14:47

Notte di fuoco, bilancio finale: 9 i palestinesi uccisi


Otto palestinesi (fra cui una donna di 33 anni al nono mese di gravidanza e un bambino di 13 anni) sono rimasti uccisi la scorsa notte nei campi profughi di el-Boureij e di Nusseirat (Gaza) nel corso di un raid condotto da ingenti reparti militari israeliani nel tentativo di colpire esponenti del braccio armato di Hamas. Un'altra donna palestinese, ferita a ottobre in un analogo raid israeliano, è deceduta stamane in un ospedale di Rafah, a sud di Gaza. I feriti della ultima incursione israeliana sono almeno 35, alcuni dei quali versano in condizioni gravi. (red)


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http://www.haaretzdaily.com

2 Qassams fired at Sderot; 9 Palestinians killed
in territories

A Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip landed in an open space in a residential area in the southern town of Sderot on Monday afternoon. Five people were being treated for shock.

Sderot has been the target of several Qassam attacks in recent weeks as the IDF has stepped up its activity in the Strip.

David Baker, an official in the Prime Minister's Office, said in response to the attack that Israel would continue to take steps to combat Palestinian terror. "This is another Palestinian assault on Israeli communities. Israel will continue to take the necessary steps to break this chain of terror inflicted upon it," he said.

8 Palestinians killed in Gaza raid, one man shot dead in Nablus
In the early hours of Monday morning, IDF tanks moved into the el-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing eight Palestinians, including two civilians - one of them a pregnant woman and the other a 13-year-old boy - and wounding 25 others. The rest of the dead were apparently armed. Two soldiers were lightly wounded in the incursion.

The Palestinian Authority criticized the back-to-back incursions, calling on the United States to condemn the operations.

"I urge President Bush to condemn these crimes," Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat said Monday.

The U.S. State Department criticized the incursion Monday evening, emphasizing in a strongly worded message that among the dead were a pregnant woman and a thirteen year old.

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the Washington administration was concerned about the large number of IDF incursions in the territories, and worried about the destruction of houses and death of innocent civilians. The destruction of houses and the destruction of the civilian infrastructure prevents the Palestinians from living a peaceful life, he said, while IDF operations worsen the humanitarian situation in the territories, and make the cessation of violence even more difficult.

"We continue to be seriously concerned about civilian casualties and we have urged the Israeli government to take appropriate caution to prevent the death or injury of innocent civilians and damage to civilian humanitarian infrastructure," he said.

But Boucher also said the United States "understands the need for Israel to defend itself against ongoing violence and terror."

"We continue to press the Palestinians to do all they can to end immediately all such targeting of Israelis," he added, apparently referring to the Israeli argument that the raid was in response to Hamas attacks on Israelis.

Palestinian dies after being hit by IDF fire near Nablus
In Nablus, IDF troops shot to death Mohammed Issa, 22, at a roadblock near the West Bank city.

The IDF said that Issa was stopped by troops at the roadblock after ignoring orders to stop. The soldiers began putting handcuffs on him and intended to cover his eyes when he started running away, the army said in a statement. The troops fired first at his lower body, and hit him in the knee. He was then evacuated by a Palestinian ambulance, the army said.

Palestinian witnesses said Issa suffered a lesion to a major artery and bled to death on his way to the hospital.

Also in Nablus, troops uncovered several weapons caches in private apartments, the radio said. An explosive belt ready for activation was found in one of the apartments, as well as 5 large pipe bombs, ammunition and explosives.

Troops began operating in the West Bank city late Sunday night, arresting several Palestinians.

Palestinian witnesses said IDF undercover troops first spread through the Gaza camp on foot, marking the way for some 35 tanks and armored vehicles backed by combat helicopters.

Palestinians said at least two of the dead were civilians - a 14-year-old boy who was shot dead and a pregnant woman whose house collapsed from the force of the blast next door. The bodies of the dead were still in the camp, residents said, and dozens of wounded from IDF fire were lying untreated in the streets.

The Gaza operation centered on the arrest of Mohammed Taha, 60, one of the original political leaders of Hamas when it was founded in 1987. Taha's five sons - all senior Hamas activists - were also arrested.

"The soldiers crept into our house without anyone knowing. They beat my father and took him into custody as he fainted," Taha's son Hassan told Reuters.

The Taha home was the site of some of the heaviest fighting during the raid, witnesses said. The army said local Palestinian gunmen used dozens of grenades and several explosive devices, including a 100-kilogram bomb, during the clashes.

Taha was wounded in the operation, the army said. One of his sons, Ayman, who was also wounded Monday, is the assistant of the top Hamas bombmaker and No. 1 on Israel's wanted list, Mohammed Deif, the army said.

The army said that Taha and several of his sons were involved in directing attacks on Israelis in the uprising. It said that troops discovered a bomb belt inside his house before they blew up the building.

The soldiers demolished at least three other homes belonging to Hamas and Islamic Jihad members, witnesses said. Five other people were arrested in the incursion.

The incursion is the second in just 24 hours in the Strip. On Sunday, three Palestinians were killed and about 10 were wounded by IDF fire during a military operation in Khan Yunis. Two IDF soldiers were lightly wounded.