ICEJ NEWS - 05/11/2001
Israeli security forces continued over recent days to stage brief forays into areas handed over to the Palestinian Authority to root out terrorist hideouts, pursuant to the express terms of the Oslo accords.

Late Wednesday night, the IDF destroyed several Palestinian security posts and cleared land on the outskirts of Rafah. The IDF, however, denied Palestinian claims that it had moved inside the Palestinian-controlled area during the operation.

But the IDF has crossed into PA lands on several occasions since two Romanian guest workers died and a third was lightly wounded when a powerful land mine was detonated by remote control in the Gaza Strip shortly before noon Thursday. The three foreigners were repairing gaping holes in the border security fence near the Kissufim crossing damaged by Palestinians. The blast was followed by Palestinian gunfire. The Romanian workers were given flak jackets by their Israeli employer, but the two dead men and the third injured one had refused to wear the "uncomfortable" jackets.

Palestinians have sabotaged about 12 kilometers of the fence over the past few months and the IDF has finally begun repairing it at a cost of NIS 1 million per kilometer. Since the start of hostilities last fall, more than 70 land mines have been planted by Palestinains along the 58-kilometer electronic security fence. Hamas claimed responsibility for this latest mine detonation.

Shortly after the incident, Israeli army tanks shelled a nearby Palestinian police position and IDF troops with bulldozers moved 300 meters inside PA-ruled territory and destroyed several buildings and uprooted trees to allow a clearer line of sight.

Later Thursday afternoon, the IDF responded further to the deaths of the Romanian workers by firing four surface-to-surface missiles at the main headquarters of the Fatah Tanzim and the Palestinian National Security base in the center of Gaza City. The Fatah headquarters are located near PLO chief Yasser Arafat's office, and reportedly had a factory for making mortar shells in it. The PA security building was used by Arafat just hours earlier to meet with leftist Israeli politicians to discuss terms for a cease-fire. Neither site had been hit in several previous Israeli precision missile strikes on Palestinian targets in Gaza City. Palestinian reports claimed the missiles wounded 25, five of them seriously, and that the IDF also targeted the Gaza headquarters of Palestinian Police chief Ghazi Jabali, near the Islamic University, a known breeding ground for Islamic terrorists.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hinted strongly Thursday night that direct attacks on key positions of the PA's power base would continue unless it ends the wave of violence, and "full security has been restored - not a reduction in terror, but a cessation of terror," said Sharon.

But PA Planning Minister Nabil Sha'ath charged Israel with declaring a "war of terror" against the Palestinians.

Fighting in the Rafah area on Wednesday continued into yesterday, with heavy exchanges of gunfire between Palestinian policemen and Israeli soldiers after Palestinians threw over 15 grenades at IDF positions. One IDF soldier and 10 Palestinian security forces were reportedly wounded in the skirmishes.

Overnight Thursday, Israeli naval ships bombarded Arafat's Force 17 training facility in Deir el-Balah, in the northern Gaza Strip. Then on Friday, IDF forces entered the same PA-ruled area with tanks and bulldozers for about two hours and demolished a fortified position and six buildings, including a post used by a PA security commander in Gaza. According to IDF sources, the compound was being used to plan terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens and soldiers.

Also this morning, the IDF entered destroyed a Palestinian police installation south of Gush Katif junction in retaliation for two hand grenades that were thrown from a passing Palestinian vehicle at a nearby IDF outpost close to Kfar Darom. The attackers sped toward the police post and entered it. Two soldiers were wounded from shrapnel.

While the US and other foreign powers have criticized Israel's temporary incursions into Arafat's fiefdom, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was quoted today as saying the Oslo Accords permit the Israeli army to take military action within PA-controlled "Area A." According to IMRA director Aaron Lerner, who verified Ben-Eliezer's comments, the Oslo II agreement (1995) specifically permits Israel the right not only to enter Area A while in "hot pursuit" of suspected terrorists, but also to carry out "pre-emptive strikes, allowing action not only to terminate an act or incident constituting a danger to life or property put also to prevent it from happening in the first place."

Palestinian sources said IDF troops shot and killed a Palestinian teenager Friday, who the IDF said was throwing stones at troops near the Karni border crossing into Gaza. The 16-year-old Arab was hit by a bullet in the chest, Palestinian hospital officials said. The IDF said it had fired warning shots over the protesters, including the teenager, but that when the protesters did not stop throwing stones, the soldiers fired at their legs. There were an undetermined number of Palestinians wounded in the rioting.

The Palestinians also said that a 17-year-old from Khan Yunis died Friday from injuries suffered in an exchange of fire in the area three days earlier.

Also on Friday, a bomb exploded alongside IDF troops south of the Kissufim checkpoint and a mortar fired by Palestinians fell next to Kibbutz Nir Am over the Green Line in Israeli territory. Elsewhere, Palestinians shelled Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the western Negev, near the northern Gaza Strip.

Several heavy clashes were reported between armed Palestinians and IDF troops in Judea/Samaria as well today, including near the Ayyosh junction, Beit El, Tulkarm, Hebron, Gilo and Al Khader, leaving four Palestinians reportedly wounded. PA cabinet minister Saeb Erakat also charged Israeli troops with shelling Jericho. The attack apparently targeted a Force 17 base there and moderately wounded one person.

In Jerusalem, Friday Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount passed peacefully. There were minor scuffles before the prayers between police and Arab youths under age 25 who were not allowed on the Mount. There were also major anti-Israel riots after Friday prayers over in Amman this afternoon, which Jordanian police broke up with tear gas and police attack dogs.

Later this evening, an explosive device detonated along the palm-lined walkway just outside Jaffa Gate, on the western side of the walled Old City of Jerusalem, lightly injuring two Polish tourists.

Finally today, a car exploded and two others parked near to it were damaged in the center of Kfar Saba. No one was injured. An initial investigation revealed it had been parked on top of burning embers left over from traditional bonfires marking the Jewish holiday of Lag Ba'omer. When local residents heard the explosion, many of them thought there had been a terrorist attack.

Used with Permission from International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.