From: Bill Howard <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- [Via Communist Internet... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] [Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ] . Saturday, 15 September, 2001, 17:09 GMT 18:09 UK Israel strikes at Gaza A Palestinian policeman inspects the damage at a security post A Palestinian youth has been killed and several other Palestinians injured in a day of violence in the Gaza Strip, reports say. The injuries came during a series of attacks launched by Israel across the Gaza Strip. Two helicopter gunships fired at least eight missiles into a military intelligence post in Gaza City, and also hit a security position near the Nusseirat refugee camp, Palestinian officials said. A BBC correspondent in Gaza City, Kylie Morris, says that shortly after midday local time, two helicopter gunships appeared in the sky and opened fire. Our correspondent says the assault left plumes of smoke hanging over the area. At the same time, in the southern border town of Rafah, missiles were also used to destroy a Palestinian police station. Shortly after the aerial attack appeared to finish, clashes broke out near the southern refugee camp town of Khan Younis. A 14-year-old Palestinian boy, Imad Zorob, was killed, the AFP news agency says. Cancellation The attacks follow a series of violent incidents inside the Gaza Strip in the past 48 hours, with two Israeli border policemen injured on Friday at the Erez border crossing and two Palestinians killed at Khan Younis by tank fire. Palestinians inspect a pump used to irrigate farms in Gaza destroyed by Israeli troops The latest violence also comes on the back of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's decision to cancel planned ceasefire talks between his Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Mr Peres had been due to meet Mr Arafat on Sunday after weeks of preparations, but the prime minister called off the meeting on the grounds that it could damage Israeli interests. Correspondents say that Israelis on the right-wing have declared that in the wake of the attacks on the US, widely blamed on elements in the Islamic world, now is the time to isolate Mr Arafat. Prime Minister Sharon has also reportedly described the Palestinian leader as "our Osama bin Laden", in reference to the prime suspect in Tuesday's attacks. But Mr Peres has hinted that failure to start talks with Mr Arafat could jeopardize Washington's efforts to form a broad coalition - including Arab countries - to combat terrorism. The Palestinians themselves have been harbouring hopes that a meeting might go ahead, and there are reports that the prime minister and his foreign minister may discuss the issue again. US President George Bush has himself telephoned Mr Sharon to stress Washington wanted the talks to go ahead soon, and it is thought that friction could occur between the two countries if a meeting does not take place. Some Palestinians believe Israel is using what has happened in the US to justify escalating its own attacks or that it is taking advantage of the fact that international attention is currently focused on the scenes of devastation from New York and Washington. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
