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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/021007/1/33inf.html An example of the Western-funded Israeli Defense Force's much-celebrated *purity of arms* Agence France-Presse Monday October 7, 20:16 PM 13 Palestinians killed as Israeli tanks, helicopters storm Gaza Strip At least 13 Palestinians were killed after Israeli tanks backed by helicopters thundered into the Gaza Strip in a major overnight raid, while EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana was to meet leaders from both sides to try to ease the two-year conflict. Tensions meanwhile soared across the northern border in Lebanon, where Israeli helicopters hovered over a pumping project set to be tried out on the Wazzani river, which Israel has warned could tamper with its own vital water supplies and constitute grounds for war. In the raid on the southern Gaza town of Khan Yunis, eight Palestinians were killed by a single missile fired from a helicopter gunship, medics said. A total of 100 were wounded, and with around 10 in critical condition the toll was likely to rise, they added. Two of the dead were killed in clashes that continued after the army pulled back into a Jewish settlement built just a few hundred metres (yards) from the Palestinian town, a frequent flashpoint for gunbattles. Bloody Israeli forays have increased in the Gaza Strip, stronghold of the Islamist Hamas movement, since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon secured almost total control of the West Bank, invaded in June after a spate of suicide bombings. Israeli tanks stormed into Khan Yunis with their cannons and machine-guns blazing at around 1:00 am Monday (2300 GMT Sunday), while accompanying helicopter gunships fired missiles and machine-guns. Israeli public radio said that bulldozers took part in the operation which included 40 tanks. Around four hours later, the Israeli forces returned to their base in nearby Gane Tal settlement, witnesses said, while clashes continued on the edge of the settlement. It was not immediately clear how many of the dead and injured were gunmen or civilians. Hospital officials said eight people were wounded when a tank shell and machine-gun fire hit a hospital after the raid. On Sunday evening, a home-made Palestinian rocket was fired at a Jewish settlement in the northern Gaza Strip without causing any injury or damage, the Israeli army said. The army said its operation was launched to destroy "terrorist infrastructure" in an area known as to be a stronghold of Hamas, which makes the Qassam rockets. "In searches, the army discovered a sack containing mortars and bombs which it blew up. A Palestinian wanted for terrorist activities was arrested as he was hiding a home-made bomb under his coat." The statement said troops had come under gunfire, but suffered no casualties. Gaza sector army commander General Israel Ziv told Israeli public radio, "This was an important operation proving that there is no sanctuary for terrorists." He said the army had taken into account the possibility of civilian victims, "but most of the dead were armed men who attacked our soldiers with automatic weapons and grenades before being killed." Ziv said that in recent months many mortar bombs and rockets had been launched from Khan Yunis at the Gush Katif settlement bloc. On September 23, Sharon said he intended to hit Islamist groups based in the Gaza Strip, a densely populated region sealed off from the world and where Hamas and its smaller rival Islamic Jihad have their strongholds. Around 15,000 people turned out in Khan Yunis for the funerals of the initial 12 people killed, even as a 13th died in hospital of his injuries. "The Palestinian Authority condemns this ugly massacre which is part of preparations to reoccupy the Gaza Strip," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said. Arafat's top aide, Nabil Abu Rudeina, called for the UN Security Council to "convene and send an international protection force." Also, in an apparently unrelated incident, the head of the Palestinian riot police was shot dead in Gaza City by unidentified masked gunmen, police said. Israel's largescale show of force came a week after Sharon was forced to bow to US pressure and lift his siege of Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, a climbdown which hit his hardline stance. The United States want to see calm in the region to allow Washington to garner backing for a possible attack on Iraq. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
