Posted on 10/27/2001 10:44:09 PM PDT by captain11
Arafat calls for continued fighting
By Margot Dudkevitch
JERUSALEM (October 28) - As soldiers remained entrenched in Palestinian Authority areas due to continuing violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the failure of the PA to stop firing at Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat called on his people "to continue fighting, fighting, determinedly and forcefully." His statements in Gaza were broadcast on Channel 2 last night.
Two members of Arafat's Force 17 were killed in clashes with soldiers over the weekend; one yesterday near Tulkarm, Fares Jabar, was wanted for the murders of two Tel Aviv restaurateurs in January, and one near Bethlehem on Friday morning.
Five Israelis were lightly wounded in separate incidents in the West Bank; four last night from gunfire at their vehicles travelling between Sussiya and Maon and another who was shot near Shavei Shomron on Friday night.
Reinforced security units at Rachel's Tomb last night prepared for the large number of Jewish worshipers expected at the site today to mark the anniversary of her death.
In Hebron, a group of Jewish residents, angry over the cabinet decision to pull out troops from Area A, occupied an empty building in the Palestinian-controlled Abu Sneineh neighborhood to protest the move. Calling the building Beit Rehavam after assassinated tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi, the group called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to remember his promise to reenter Palestinian areas if firing from them were renewed.
Police and soldiers dispersed the demonstrators, and police arrested Yitzhak Pass, whose 10-month-old daughter, Shalhevet, was killed by a Palestinian sniper firing from Abu Sneineh earlier this year.
The Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip issued a statement condemning the government's decision, which it said came as senior IDF officers warned that further terrorist attacks were imminent.
On Friday afternoon Judea and Samaria police detained a resident of Eilon Moreh, 26, on suspicion of throwing stones near Hawara and lightly wounding a Palestinian man in the head.
Six mortar shells were fired harmlessly over the weekend at a Jewish community in the central Gaza Strip and inside Israel near the northern Gaza border fence. Last night a grenade was thrown at soldiers patrolling the border near Rafah.
Palestinians fired anti-tank grenades at an IDF post near Neveh Dekalim, and shots were fired at an army position near Gadid in Gush Katif and at an IDF post near Bnei Atzmon. An anti-tank grenade was also fired at an IDF post near Netzer Hazani. Shots were fired last night and Friday at soldiers patrolling the Karni-Netzarim road.
In the West Bank yesterday, Palestinians reported that the IDF had arrested six Palestinians in the Nablus area; five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and a member of Fatah. Palestinians said Firas Jaber, 24, a member of Force 17, was killed during a gun battle with soldiers after tanks entered Tulkarm. Last night four Israeli civilians were lightly wounded when Palestinians shot at their car near Sussiya in the south Hebron Hills.
In the Bethlehem area there were intense gun battles between soldiers and Palestinian gunmen. Last night Palestinians continued to shoot at the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, causing damage to a number of apartments. Shots were also fired at an IDF post at Tel Aras outside Nablus and at an IDF post on Mount Ebal. Shots were fired at an Israeli vehicle near Negohot west of Hebron and at an IDF vehicle near Kalkilya. Yesterday morning a bomb was discovered near an IDF vehicle at Ein Bidan north of Nablus and Palestinians opened fire at soldiers searching the area. Shortly afterward another bomb was discovered by soldiers near Deir al-Hatab east of Nablus. Both bombs were detonated by sappers.
On Friday night shots were fired at Psagot near Ramallah and at the Bethlehem bypass (tunnel) road. Shots were fired from Kalkilya at Kibbutz Nir Eliahu inside Israel, at the Yad Yair army post, and at an army roadblock near Har Homa. Shots were also fired at a tank deployed at the Kalanswa roadblock, at a Border Police base near Tulkarm, and at a Border Police base outside Bethlehem. On Friday morning, soldiers shot and killed Farid Abu Jallah, a member of Force 17 near the Aida refugee camp.
Yesterday afternoon the IDF prevented a group of human rights activists from entering Sussiya in the south Hebron Hills to help Palestinians harvest olives. The group returned to Jerusalem and demonstrated outside the Mevaseret home of Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.
OTOH, one can always pray for a miracle.
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