March 07, 2004

15 Palestinians killed in IDF Gaza raid

Fifteen Palestinians were killed, among them two children, in an IDF raid on the El-Bureij and Nuseirat refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. More than 80 Palestinians were wounded in the operation, which began late Saturday night, and which was aimed at nabbing perpetrators of Kassam rocket attacks and bombings.

While Hamas and Islamic Jihad vowed to avenge the deaths, senior Palestinian Authority officials described the operation as a massacre, and called for international intervention.
[Don't they always? The Paleos are NEVER the aggressors and they don't "deserve" to be dealt the ultimate penalty for their murders of innocent Isrealis yada yada yada. I am so very tired of their murderous hypocrisy!--Jen]

In response, Lt.-Col. Ofir Winter of the Givati Brigade told The Jerusalem Post that the soldiers shot "without a doubt" at armed men only.

"They received instructions prior to the operation not to shoot at children," he said. "However, many of the gunmenhid behind hundreds of children and youths, who were called to participate in clashes with soldiers as we prepared to pull out."

Winter said the gunmen threw grenades and shot at soldiers from behind rows of children.
[We know only too well that the Islamist terrorists will use human shields and, of course, child human shields. They doing it in Iraq, too.--J.T.]

"We also saw two explosions within the crowd – possibly bombs that terrorists planned to use against us and that blew up prematurely," he said. "I believe that a number of the casualties stemmed from [those explosions]."

PA Negotiations Minister Saeb Erekat said on Gaza radio that "Israel talks in English about potential withdrawal, and orders its troops in Hebrew to invade Palestinian cities, towns, villages, and refugee camps – to kill as many Palestinian civilians as possible."

Late Saturday night, Givati forces, supported by armored and engineering units and two Apache helicopters, entered the area between the two camps and the settlement of Netzarim. Soldiers surrounded two buildings where they believed fugitives were hiding, Winter said.

"As soon as we were seen entering the area, Palestinians used loudspeakers to call on 'martyrs' to take to the streets and fight," he said.

Groups of Palestinians then began to shoot at the soldiers, firing RPGs and light weapons, Winter said. As the soldiers prepared to leave, roughly 1,000 Palestinian children and youths, Palestinian gunmen mingled among them, clashed with soldiers. At mid-morning, the troops pulled out of the area, Winter said.

Palestinians said two children and a teenager were among those killed.
[Needless to say, the Paleostinians always say that there were children killed in IDF raids. I'm not so sure they don't do these murders themselves, too.]

El-Bureij camp Mayor Kamal Baghdadi told reporters, "These 'Zio-Nazis' know only the language of bloodshed. MurderBeing murdered is an inherent characteristic of Zionism."
[Strike-out improvement mine.--Jen]

Nabil Abu Rudaineh, a spokesman for PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, declared: "This is a terrorist massacre by the Israeli government. It shows the whole world that the Palestinians are subjected to the worst kind of terror by the Israeli government."

Hamas claimed in a statement that nine of the dead were Hamas members, including local commander Hassan Zahot, 44.

Also on Sunday, during a visit at the Erez crossing following Saturday's thwarted terrorist attacks, IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya'alon told reporters that he could not rule out the possibility that the recent escalation in terrorism is due to talk of a possible withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

The Erez industrial site remained closed on Sunday and officials did not say when it would reopen, in light of the recent spate of attacks at the site.
"Everything that is happening here leads me to the conclusion that we care about employing the Palestinian families in Gaza more than the terrorist organizations do," Ya'alon told reporters.

The two PA policemen who were killed Saturday, when a Palestinian taxi exploded near their post as they prevented it from crossing to the Israeli side, were identified as Bashir Abu Omrein, 28, and Hussam Aliwah, also 28.
[May Allah--God--rest the souls of these PA policemen. They did the right thing and it cost them their lives.]

The four terrorists who were killed attempting to carry out the attack were identified as Hatem Tafesh and Amru Sayed of Fatah, Muhammad abu Diyeh of HamasIslamic Jihad.

Elsewhere, soldiers in the village of Anza, south of Jenin, blew up a bomb factory found early Sunday morning. Officers said troops found empty mortar shells, pipes, gunpowder, fertilizer used to manufacture explosives, and fuses stored inside the factory.

Check out the AP version of this story for some interesting details and observations:

[...]
Fourteen Palestinians were killed and 81 wounded in more than six hours of fighting on the edge of the Bureij refugee camp.

The battle pitted Palestinians armed with assault rifles, anti-tank missiles and grenade launchers against Israeli troops firing from helicopters, tanks and rooftop sniper positions. Children chased tanks, throwing stones.
[Where are the Paleostinians getting all these arms?!?
The IDF has raided and raided and raided...]
[...]
Palestinians said Israeli soldiers were trying to draw out militants in what appeared to be a new tactic.
[Mazeltov, IDF! Hope it works as well as this raid.]

Armed groups routinely exhort their members over mosque loudspeakers to confront approaching Israeli troops, despite vastly inferior weapons and considerable risk. [Oh, Boo-freaking-Hoo, AP. Are we supposed to feel sorry for them?] Sunday was no exception.

These mosque loudspeakers are a problem for us all over the Islamic world.
At least one of the Iraqi bloggers has complained that they are a constant source of unrest in Baghdad.
If we're going to tame the tiger that is (radical) Islam, we're going to have to find and implement a way for Muslims to be called to prayer and nothing else.
That is, if Islam is to survive this war as a valid religion.
It's up to the Muslims.

Sunday's fighting was part of a recent rise in violence that has been attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposal to withdraw from most, if not all, of Gaza and parts of the West Bank if there is no progress toward peace in coming months.

Each side seems to be positioning itself to claim a withdrawal as a victory - Israel by pounding the militants hard before a pullout, and the armed groups by stepping up attacks to create the impression they are chasing the Israelis out.
[...]
There are concerns that an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza could push the crowded, impoverished territory into chaos. Already, rival groups are vying for power, as the Palestinian Authority has lost much of its influence, and attacks on Palestinian officials are on the increase.

Here's a grim sign that that is precisely the case in the "Palestinian areas:"
Palestinian Authority to resume executions

In a further attempt to fight spreading anarchy in the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, the PA has decided to resume executions of convicted murderers and "collaborators."
[...]
"There is a need for very serious measures to stop the chaos from spreading," said one official.

"Executions serve as an effective deterrence."
At least 10 Palestinians are on death row after being convicted of murder and collaboration with Israel. Under pressure from the international community and human rights organizations, the PA suspended executions in 2001.

Since then Arafat has refrained from approving death sentences issued by various PA courts.
[Arafish should have been an actor. What an Oscar-worthy performance of restraint to fool the EU!]

The decision to resume executions came after thousands of Palestinians attacked the central prison in Gaza City on Friday in an attempt to kidnap four taxi drivers suspected of raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl.

The protesters emerged from a number of mosques following Friday prayers and began marching toward the prison in the security compound known as Saraya. Hurling stones and empty bottles at the building, the demonstrators tried to storm the prison, but were repelled by policemen using live ammunition.
[...]
Raji Sourani, head of the PA's Higher Judicial Council, said the four would be tried before a special criminal court that will be established on Monday. He pointed out that the four, who are certain to be executed, were part of a dangerous gang that carried out a series of murders, rapes, and armed robberies in the Gaza Strip.
[Sounds like a charming place--not. No wonder the Israelis are eager to pull out of there!]

Meanwhile, tensions are mounting between Arafat and some senior PA officials. On Thursday night, members of PA Military Intelligence raided the homes of the bodyguards of Gen. Nasser Youssef, former minister of interior in the PA cabinet, and confiscated their weapons. The force also seized a jeep belonging to Youssef, who is out of the country.

The move follows a confrontation between Arafat and Youssef after the latter complained against the state of chaos in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during a recent meeting of the Fatah Revolutionary Council in Ramallah. At the peak of the altercation, Arafat threw a microphone at Youssef, accusing him of being a spy for Israel and the US.

PA security sources said Arafat personally ordered Military Intelligence, which is headed by his nephew, Musa Arafat, to carry out the raid. The force also searched the home of Youssef's assistant, Maj. Farid Asaliyeh, and confiscated documents.

We all know that this will get worse before it gets better, but mainly for the "Palestian" terrorists and Arafat.
I pray God that Israel has already seen the worst.
Clearly, the security fence is a true God-send in every sense of the word; terror attacks on Jews in Israel have decreased significantly, the Paleostinian areas have been exposed as the nests of jihadi terror murder that they are and the IslamoNazis will now fight amongst themselves and kill each other over "fault," "blame" and sheer outrage that the whole "Palestinian" dream was written in lies, blood, poverty, human misery and death.