Seraphim
06-26-2004, 03:58 PM
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20040626/i/r3660952082.jpg
Palestinians carry the body of a wanted militant after he was killed by Israeli troops during a raid in the old city of the West Bank city of Nablus June 26,2004. Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian militants, including three senior faction leaders, in the deadliest raid into the West Bank for months. Among the dead in the militant stronghold was Nayef Abu Sharkh, West Bank leader for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) faction, medics said. Photo by Abed Omar Qusini/*******
By Atef Sa'ad
NABLUS, West Bank (*******) - Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian militants, including three senior faction leaders, in Nablus on Saturday in the deadliest raid into the West Bank for months.
Among the dead in the militant stronghold was Nayef Abu Sharkh, West Bank leader for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) faction, medics said.
Others were identified by medics as the local leader of the military wing of Hamas in Nablus and the top commander for Islamic Jihad in the West Bank city of Jenin, who has been holed up in Nablus for the past two years.
Israeli officials had no immediate comment on the deaths.
The killings overshadowed a visit from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who urged both sides to fulfil commitments and take advantage of the "moment of opportunity" offered by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s Gaza pullout plan.
Burns, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, made his remarks after meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie following talks with Israeli leaders on the U.S.-backed plan, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
Nablus has long been a center for militant groups that have killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings during more than 3 1/2 years of conflict.
The Jewish state launched its latest raid into the old city at the heart of Nablus, a warren of ancient streets, three days ago -- shortly after announcing it had prevented a bombing in Jerusalem by militants based there.
ARMY AMBUSH
Israeli troops late last month raided the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza, killing about 44 Palestinians, but have not pushed into the West Bank with significant force since April.
In Nablus, Israeli military sources said troops found a group of six militants inside a house, hiding behind a wall. The soldiers fired at them and threw grenades, the sources said.
Witnesses said Israeli troops ambushed and shot the men. Medics confirmed the men died of gunshot wounds.
"Israel is compelled to strike at terrorists before they strike at Israel," said a source in the Israeli prime minister's office. Israeli officials have not confirmed or denied the identities of the militants.
Earlier in the day, Israeli troops shot dead another al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant in Nablus who military sources said had confronted soldiers. On Friday, soldiers killed two Palestinians, including one gunmen, during their massive raid.
Nabil Abu Rdainah, a senior advisor to Arafat, called the killing of the gunmen "a grave escalation that aims to sabotage the Egyptian and American efforts to revive the peace process."
Egypt has been talking with Palestinian officials about plans to train Palestinian security officers so they can secure control over Gaza after an Israeli pullout. Israeli hard-liners fear Gaza militants plan to take over Gaza after a withdrawal.
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman earlier this week gave Arafat two months to make good on promises to reform his security forces if Egypt is to help the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) maintain law and order in Gaza after an Israeli withdrawal.
"We genuinely believe that this is a moment of opportunity that none of us can afford to miss," Burns told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "The Israelis and the Palestinians must fulfill obligations in order to take advantage of that."
Sharon has won cabinet support in principle for his Gaza plan, which calls for the gradual evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and another four in the West Bank. A second vote is necessary for implementation.
Palestinians carry the body of a wanted militant after he was killed by Israeli troops during a raid in the old city of the West Bank city of Nablus June 26,2004. Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian militants, including three senior faction leaders, in the deadliest raid into the West Bank for months. Among the dead in the militant stronghold was Nayef Abu Sharkh, West Bank leader for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) faction, medics said. Photo by Abed Omar Qusini/*******
By Atef Sa'ad
NABLUS, West Bank (*******) - Israeli troops shot dead seven Palestinian militants, including three senior faction leaders, in Nablus on Saturday in the deadliest raid into the West Bank for months.
Among the dead in the militant stronghold was Nayef Abu Sharkh, West Bank leader for the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s Fatah (news - web sites) faction, medics said.
Others were identified by medics as the local leader of the military wing of Hamas in Nablus and the top commander for Islamic Jihad in the West Bank city of Jenin, who has been holed up in Nablus for the past two years.
Israeli officials had no immediate comment on the deaths.
The killings overshadowed a visit from U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who urged both sides to fulfil commitments and take advantage of the "moment of opportunity" offered by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites)'s Gaza pullout plan.
Burns, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, made his remarks after meeting Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie following talks with Israeli leaders on the U.S.-backed plan, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.
Nablus has long been a center for militant groups that have killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings during more than 3 1/2 years of conflict.
The Jewish state launched its latest raid into the old city at the heart of Nablus, a warren of ancient streets, three days ago -- shortly after announcing it had prevented a bombing in Jerusalem by militants based there.
ARMY AMBUSH
Israeli troops late last month raided the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza, killing about 44 Palestinians, but have not pushed into the West Bank with significant force since April.
In Nablus, Israeli military sources said troops found a group of six militants inside a house, hiding behind a wall. The soldiers fired at them and threw grenades, the sources said.
Witnesses said Israeli troops ambushed and shot the men. Medics confirmed the men died of gunshot wounds.
"Israel is compelled to strike at terrorists before they strike at Israel," said a source in the Israeli prime minister's office. Israeli officials have not confirmed or denied the identities of the militants.
Earlier in the day, Israeli troops shot dead another al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades militant in Nablus who military sources said had confronted soldiers. On Friday, soldiers killed two Palestinians, including one gunmen, during their massive raid.
Nabil Abu Rdainah, a senior advisor to Arafat, called the killing of the gunmen "a grave escalation that aims to sabotage the Egyptian and American efforts to revive the peace process."
Egypt has been talking with Palestinian officials about plans to train Palestinian security officers so they can secure control over Gaza after an Israeli pullout. Israeli hard-liners fear Gaza militants plan to take over Gaza after a withdrawal.
Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman earlier this week gave Arafat two months to make good on promises to reform his security forces if Egypt is to help the Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) maintain law and order in Gaza after an Israeli withdrawal.
"We genuinely believe that this is a moment of opportunity that none of us can afford to miss," Burns told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "The Israelis and the Palestinians must fulfill obligations in order to take advantage of that."
Sharon has won cabinet support in principle for his Gaza plan, which calls for the gradual evacuation of all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) and another four in the West Bank. A second vote is necessary for implementation.