Against terrorist acts, Israel will respond by
capturing territories of the Palestinian Authority - these territories
will be held by Israel as long as terror continues |
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Israeli Government statement
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Dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles backed by helicopter gunships have already stormed Jenin after an emergency Israeli cabinet meeting discussed responses to a morning rush-hour bus attack that killed 19 Israeli civilians and a Palestinian suicide bomber.
The deadliest attack in Jerusalem for six years prompted the offensive which, according to the government, will capture "Palestinian Authority territory".
"These areas will be held by Israel as long as terror continues," the statement added.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the bombing of the bus carrying mostly schoolchildren and office workers - which also left 50 people injured - was an argument "stronger than any words" against Palestinian statehood.US President George W Bush had been expected to outline an American vision for the setting up of a Palestinian state - and possibly a timetable for that to happen - and his spokesman said he would not be put off by the latest "act of terror".
Expanded action
Mr Sharon's cabinet approved "a series of military actions" as an answer to the attack by a man using a bomb packed with nails in southern Jerusalem.
This terrible thing that we are seeing is the
continuation of the Palestinian terror and we must fight and struggle
against this terror and this is what we will do |
|
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
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Israel Radio said the operations would be "bigger and wider" than recent action which has seen almost nightly raids on towns such as Jenin which are viewed as bastions of militants and future suicide bombers.
Both the town of Jenin and its neighbouring refugee camp were reported to have come under fire from the ground and the air and buildings had been struck by artillery shells.
Recent raids followed the ending of the mass occupation of Palestinian towns under Operation Defensive Shield which ran from 29 March to 10 May.
That action was launched after 29 Israelis died in the "Passover Massacre" bombing of a hotel.
The BBC correspondent Caroline Hawley reported residents of Ramallah - the West Bank town which is home to the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat - were stocking up on food and medicines in case the Israeli Army returned.
The Palestinian Authority denounced the nail-bomb attack but was held accountable by Mr Sharon who, unusually for him, went to the bloodstained scene.Mr Sharon said he would take strong action against the perpetrators of the violence.
"This terrible thing that we are seeing is the continuation of the Palestinian terror and we must fight and struggle against this terror and this is what we will do," he said.
The militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the bombing and promised further attacks on Israelis.
Bloody morning
A schoolboy, Yakir Barashi, who had just got off another bus, saw the effect of the bomb.
"People were flying in the air, there was blood everywhere," the 14-year-old said.
"I'm afraid to go on a bus, to go to school. I saw one kid with nails cutting into his entire body."
In Hebron, Israeli commandos killed a senior member of the military wing of the radical Islamic Jihad group.
At least 1,403 Palestinians and 530 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_2052000/2052804.stm
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