Posted on 09/30/2001 1:08:47 PM PDT by A.J.Armitage
JERUSALEM (September 30) - In one of the most violent weekends in recent weeks, at least 12 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded, and 12 Israelis were wounded aruond the territories. The upsurge in unrest came despite efforts by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat at Gaza's Dahaniya Airport on Wednesday to enable a cease-fire and the resumption of security talks in Tel Aviv on Friday.
Two Palestinians were killed and six wounded near the Samaria community of Homesh in the latest incident this morning, apparently by IDF fire, after reportedly trying to evade an army roadblock.
The eight Palestinians, reportedly heading for illegal day labor jobs in Israel, were fired upon when their taxi abruptly stopped, turned around and drove off before reaching the checkpoint.
The occupants then fled on foot, and soldiers opened fire on the group.
Taxi driver Asmi Asm said that in the pre-dawn hours of this morning, he and other drivers were ferrying laborers from the West Bank city of Nablus to the town of Tulkarm, near the border with Israel, according to the Palestinian version of the events.
The workers then intended to join the thousands of Palestinians who slip into Israel to work illegally.
Asm said the convoy came upon a pile of rocks blocking the road.
When some of the passengers began dismantling the barrier, Israeli troops concealed in a nearby olive grove opened fire, killing two people and wounding six, he said.
The IDF Spokesman said the army is investigating the shooting.
In another incident, four Palestinians were blown up as they were apparently making a bomb.
Marking the first anniversary of the intifada, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in angry demonstrations throughout the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, calling"Death to America and Israel" and declaring support for terrorist Osama bin Laden as they clashed with Israeli security forces.
In the West Bank early yesterday morning, Palestinians fired a mortar shell that hit north of the Gush Etzion community of Tekoa, causing neither injury nor damage. This was the first mortar attack outside the Gaza Strip since Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood came under mortar fire in August.
In the Gaza Strip on Friday night and early yesterday, Palestinians fired a total of six mortar shells. Two landed in Alei Sinai, lightly wounding two residents and causing damage to a house. One landed in Netiv Ha'asara, two landed near the hothouses in Netzarim, and the other fell early yesterday in a Jewish community in the northern Gaza Strip.
"The severe terrorist attacks directed at the Jewish residents of Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip and security forces in recent days prove that a cease-fire never existed," declared Samaria Regional Council head Benzi Lieberman. "Israel's failure to respond and instead opt for further dialogue will only lead to an escalation in violence and the further spilling of Jewish blood," he added.
Lieberman called on the security cabinet to refrain from easing any restrictions imposed on the Palestinians, as called for in the Peres-Arafat meeting, saying that doing so will only provide Palestinian terrorists with the opportunity to wage further attacks against Israeli targets.
Arafat adviser Nabil Abu Rudeineh responded by accusing Israel of sabotaging the cease-fire. "We are urging the United States to pressure the Israeli government to stop this escalation and aggression," he said. He added that Israel should already have begun easing up its restrictions imposed on Palestinian areas.
Last night Israeli security forces declared a closed military zone around the Tzofim junction in Samaria after scores of Jewish residents from Alfei Menashe and Tzofim burned hothouses and a field belonging to Palestinians and blocked the road to protest the escalation in violence in the area. Police arrested two of the demonstrators and ordered them to clear the road and leave the site.
Last week the Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza warned it would step up activities if the government continued to restrict the army's response to the Palestinian violence. Several council leaders expressed concern that some may be tempted to take the law into their own hands due to the lack of response to the continued attacks.
In a two-day roundup of incidents in the West Bank:
* Shots were fired last night at Tapuah, Psagot, an IDF post near Ramallah, and a Border Police post near the Hebron Jewish community. Shots were fired at an Israeli vehicle near the Kalkilya District Coordinating Office.
* A resident of Itamar was shot in the leg by Palestinians as he drove by the mosque in Hawara. The man was admitted to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva in good condition.
* Yesterday afternoon soldiers and Palestinians exchanged fire in Hebron for several hours. Three Palestinians were killed, two of whom were identified: Yasser al-Adhami, 24, and Ribhi Abu Biad, 50.
Two soldiers were lightly wounded when Palestinians shot at their post near Beit Hadassah. They were taken to Hadassah-University Hospital in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem.
* On Friday morning, a soldier was lightly wounded when Palestinians shot at an IDF position in Tel Rumeida.
* Islamic Jihad activist Yasser a-Nadhimi was killed near Hebron on Friday night while apparently preparing a bomb, which exploded prematurely.
* Near Tulkarm, Palestinians threw firebombs harmlessly at a Border Police patrol, and shots were fired at the nearby Border Police base.
* On Friday night, shots were fired at a Border Police base near Bethlehem and at soldiers at Givat Hadagan. There were exchanges of gunfire near Halhoul and near El Khader a Palestinian youth threw a bomb at soldiers, who shot him dead.
Shots were fired from a Palestinian Police position at soldiers dispersing Palestinian demonstrators near Bani Naim. During an exchange of gunfire that ensued, Palestinians said 10-year-old Muhammad al-Tariera was killed.
* On Friday a border policeman was lightly wounded by stones thrown at a patrol near Tulkarm.
* An Israeli motorist suffered moderate wounds and three others were lightly wounded when stones thrown at their vehicle near the Yitzhar junction on Friday caused the driver to lose control and smash into a wall. The wounded were brought to hospital for treatment.
* In the morning two residents of Carmel were lightly wounded when shots were fired at their vehicle as they traveled between Maon and Sussiya. They were taken to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.
* Shots were fired at an army vehicle near Wallajeh, between Jerusalem and Gush Etzion.
In the Gaza Strip over the weekend, violent clashes broke out at the Erez and Rafah border crossings, near Netzarim, Kfar Darom, and Neveh Dekalim.
* Yesterday morning a border police officer was lightly wounded by stones thrown at an IDF post near the Erez crossing during fierce clashes with hundreds of Palestinians.
* Near Rafah, Palestinians threw numerous grenades and fired at soldiers deployed near the Egyptian border. They also fired at the Termit army post, which was damaged by a bomb blast Wednesday morning.
* Shots were fired at army positions near Neveh Dekalim, at Israeli convoys traveling on the Karni-Netzarim road, and at IDF positions near Gadid. A Palestinian fired an anti-tank grenade at an IDF post at Moshav Katif.
* Palestinians reported that four died in a mysterious explosion near Rafah on Friday night. Three of the dead were identified: Ghazi Shadi Lafi, 20; Ahmed Mahdi, 21; and Muhammad Zahd, 20. The four are presumed to have been killed while preparing a bomb meant for soldiers on patrol.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.