>From: "Francisco Javier Bernal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Mon, 20 Nov 2000 22:53:07 -0000 > >ISRAEL LAUNCHES MASSIVE AIR STRIKES ON GAZA > >GAZA CITY, Nov 20 (AFP) - Israel launched massive punitive raids on >Palestinian >targets in the Gaza Strip as darkness fell on Monday after what it >branded a >"barbaric" deadly bomb attack >against a Jewish settler school bus. > >"We will continue to use all our might to end the violence and make >the Palestinian >Authority understand that it will achieve nothing through violence," >Prime Minister >Ehud Barak said after a sustained two-hour air and sea bombardment >across the >Gaza Strip. > >The latest escalation dealt a new setback to tentative efforts to >quell more >than seven weeks of deadly unrest in the Palestinian territories that >has claimed >the lives of some 250 people, most of them Arab. > >Barak said he held Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority and his >Fatah militiamen >responsible for the "barbaric and criminal" bombing of the school bus >that killed >two Jewish settlers and injured nine more, including five children. > >In Washington, US national security spokesman P.J. Crowley condemned >both the >attack on the bus and the subsequent Israeli air raids, and urged >both sides >in the peace process to work harder to end violence. > >Witnesses said missiles landed at a rate of about one per minute >throughout Gaza >City -- one of the world's most densely populated areas -- knocking >out electricity >supplies and sending panicked Palestinians screaming into the >streets. > >A Palestinian official said one Palestinian was killed in the town of >Khan Yunis, >one of several areas that came under attack, and that another 120 >people had >gone to hospital for treatment. Five are in a serious condition. > >They were reported suffering burns and shrapnel wounds from the >bombardments >by helicopter gunships and naval vessels off the coast, which also >targeted Rafah >near the border with Egypt and the town of Khan Yunis. > >Witnesses said numerous Palestinian security buildings had been hit >in Gaza City, >along with a headquarters of Fatah and of Arafat's personal guard >known as Force >17, and the Palestinian satellite television station close to >Arafat's office >and home. > >"We hold Israel responsible for this grave escalation. Israel must >stop these >attacks immediately in order that the situation does not deteriorate >into a situation >that no-one can control," top Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP. > >The Palestinian leadership issued a statement calling for immediate >international >intervention to protect its people and stop these "hideous >aggressions." > >But Barak's chief of staff Gilad Sher, speaking to CNN television, >described >the attacks as a "measured response" to the bombing -- the first >deadly attack >against settlers in Gaza since the unrest began -- and said prior >warnings had >been given. > >The raids followed an Israeli security cabinet meeting which decided >to launch >selective strikes targets and increase economic sanctions against the >Palestinians >after the bombing. > >Barak faced mounting pressure -- from settlers, the right wing, top >army brass >and even his own ministers -- to take a tougher line with the >Palestinians as >the violence showed no signs of ended. > >Israeli public opinion is also hardening because of the increasing >bloodshed >among Jews, with 28 Israeli civilians or soldiers killed as the >pattern of violence >has shifted from riots and street battles to concentrated shootings >and bomb >attacks. > >Barak reiterated calls for his political opponents to join an >emergency government >to deal with the violence. > >"Let us unite together at this important hour in the face of our >rivals, until >we win," he said, although so far his main rival, right-wing Likud >party leader >Ariel Sharon, has rejected the calls. > >Barak, his government limping along with just 30 MPs in the 120- >member parliament >is vulnerable to censure motions and calls for early elections after >the powerful >Shas ultra-Orthodox religious party said it would withdraw its >support next week. > >Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority vehemently rejected any >involvement in the >bus attack and said it had launched its own investigation into the >incident, >which occurred only days after Arafat issued a "clear order" for an >end to shootings >against Israelis from areas under PA control. > >Three minor radical groups claimed separate responsibility for the >bomb attack. > >As the crisis deepened, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan met with the >Israeli >ambassador to the United Nations, Yehuda Lancry. > >Annan had said he would solicit feedback from both sides of the >conflict about >a French proposal for the UN deployment of a mobile force of unarmed military >observers in the region. > >Annan was scheduled to meet later with the Palestinian observer to the UN, >Nasser >Al-Kidwa, who has asked the Security Council to authorize a force of >approximately >2,000 unarmed observers to protect Palestinians. > >In other violence in the territories, Israeli soldiers also shot and killed a >16-year-old Palestinian youth during clashes in Rafah, hospital officials said. > >Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier shot in the head in an attack by a >Palestinian >policeman in the Gaza Strip Saturday died of his wounds Monday, the >army said. > >Palestinian marches, which have often turned into violent clashes in >recent weeks, >have been called for Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, according to a >statement distributed >in Ramallah by a group of intifada organizers known as the national >and Islamic >forces. > >Meanwhile the Egyptian government information service said Arafat >would have >talks Tuesday in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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