Israelis kill four in West Bank

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Israeli commandos have opened fire on an unmarked car in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, shooting dead four Palestinian militants.

Those killed include Muhammad Shahada, 48, a senior leader of Islamic Jihad, and Ahmed al-Balbul, also 48, a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Two others killed were identified as members of the Islamic Jihad group."

<snip>

"According to witnesses a team of Israeli commandos disguised as locals and driving a car with Palestinian number plates sprayed the militants' car with bullets."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7292815.stm


Abbas: IDF operation in Bethlehem a barbaric crime

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3518471,00.html

Palestinian Authority condemns killing of four terrorists, says 'crime exposes Israel's mask'

<snip>

"A spokesman on behalf of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' office condemned the IDF operation Wednesday that left four senior terrorists dead in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

"This barbaric crime exposes the fake mask on Israel's face," the statement said, while slamming the Jewish State for "talking about peace but committing daily crimes, murders, and executions against our people."

The harsh Palestinian Authority statement claimed that complaints made by the Israeli government were "bogus" and that despite its declared desire to achieve peace and security, "on the ground it continues its ceaseless settlement activity in Jerusalem and other West Bank areas."

<snip>

"The statement further claimed that Israel has ignored its "bogus pledges from Annapolis and other international events in addition to the barbaric holocaust it has carried out against our people, women, and children in the Gaza Strip."

<snip>

"Meanwhile, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat also addressed the Israeli operation, charging that it "sabotages the efforts to reach a ceasefire."


Rockets fired at Sderot

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3518485,00.html

Is fragile lull over? Qassam rocket barrage fired at southern town Wednesday night; attack causes some damage, no injuries reported; earlier, Islamic Jihad vows to avenge killing of four terrorists

<snip>

"At least eight Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot from the northern Gaza Strip Wednesday night following a brief lull in attacks on southern Israel communities.

Two rockets landed in town, near a school and next to a warehouse, and caused some damage. Security forces were attempting to pinpoint the landing site of another rocket that apparently fell in a residential area. One rocket landed in the Strip, while the others landed in open areas outside Sderot.

No injuries were reported in the night barrage, but at least one local resident suffered from anxiety and was being treated by paramedics at the scene.

The "Color Red" alert system was activated to warn of incoming rockets and residents in the area reported hearing explosions moments before the Qassams landed in town.

A short while before the attacks, the Islamic Jihad threatened to avenge the death of four terrorists killed by security forces in the West Bank town of Bethlehem earlier in the day."

[subsuelo]

1. Here we go again

:(

[Scurrilous]

2. Israel strikes targets in northern Gaza Strip

<snip>

"Israeli planes on Thursday hit targets in the northern Gaza Strip effectively ending a lull in the violence since March 8, the Israeli armed forces announced.

Israel's attack came after a dozen rockets were fired towards southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, with the projectiles causing no harm.

Israel and the Palestinians had respected a tacit truce since March 8 which led to a drop in violence."

http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=080313045232.0n2qzqh9.php

[Looking4Light]

3. This is a joke, right?

Firing a dozen rockets - at civilians - doesn't constitute an end to a lull.

[hifalutin]

4. Thank goodness

no innocent children were killed.

[Vegasaurus]

5. A dozen rockets doesn't sound like any lull n/t

[Scurrilous]

6. Islamic Jihad: Israel foiling lull efforts

Spokesman of organization, whose operatives were killed by IDF in Bethlehem and Tulkarm on Wednesday, accuses Jewish state of 'destroying all efforts invested in reaching truce in occupied Palestine.' The Palestinian people have no other choice but to continue resistance against Zionists' crimes, he adds

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3518625,00.html

<snip>

"There is no room for discussing a truce with Israel, the Islamic Jihad's spokesman said Thursday, after four of the organization's operatives and a Fatah member were killed by the IDF on Wednesday in two separate incidents in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Tulkarm.

According to Dawud Shihab, "What happened is a blow and a slap in Egypt's face in light of its efforts to reach a lull, and a show of disregard towards the Egyptian and Arab role and towards all the talks and agreements."

In an interview with the Iranian news network al-Alam, Shihab said, "The Israeli escalation, the assassination of five Palestinian fighters in the West Bank and the resumption of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip constitute an elimination of all the efforts invested in order to reach a truce in occupied Palestine."

The spokesman added that "the crimes committed yesterday by the Zionist entity in the West Bank and the ongoing crimes it commits in the Gaza Strip clarify once again that it is continuing its aggressive policy against the Palestinian people.

"The Palestinian people have no other choice but to continue the resistance and retaliate against the crimes of these Zionists."

[Scurrilous]

7. Palestinians fire 6 Qassam rockets at western Negev

Fragile truce takes another beating as al-Quds Brigades fire rockets at western Negev. Lull's stand shaken further by rocket salvo on area Wednesday night

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3518691,00.html

<snip>

"Six Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev Thursday, following Wednesday salvo on the area. Seven mortar shells were fired shortly after that, landing near the security fence. One woman suffered shock.

The Islamic Jihad's military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for the Qassam fire."

<snip>

"Thirteen rockers fired on Sderot and the western Negev communities Wednesday night chipped away at the fragile truce agreed upon just this Monday: One rocket hit a Sderot high school, damaging the premises; and another hit a building causing one of the tenants to suffer shock.

The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for Wednesday's fire, saying in came in retaliation to the IDF Bethlehem operation, in which three of its operatives and a Fatah gunman were killed."

[Tom Joad]

8. See my post that is a report of a Gush Shalom statement on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x204568

[Scurrilous]

9. Read it.

Thanks. :hi:

[Scurrilous]

10. "I came, I saw, I destroyed!"

<snip>

"WHAT HAPPENED this week is so infuriating, so impertinent, that it stands out even in our familiar landscape of governmental irresponsibility.

On the near horizon, a de facto suspension of hostilities was taking shape. The Egyptians had made great efforts to turn it into an official cease-fire. The flame was already burning visibly lower. The launching of Qassams and Grads from the Gaza Strip into Israel had fallen from dozens a day to two or three.

And then something happened that turned the flame up high again: undercover soldiers of the Israeli army killed four Palestinians militants in Bethlehem. A fifth was killed in a village near Tulkarm.

THE MODUS OPERANDI left no doubt about the intention.

As usual, the official version was mendacious. (When the army spokesman speaks the truth, he is ashamed and immediately hurries on to the next lie.) The four, it was said, drew their weapons and endangered the life of the soldiers, who only wanted to arrest them, so they were compelled to open fire.

Anyone with half a brain knows that this is a lie. The four were in a small car on the main street of Bethlehem, the road that has joined Jerusalem and Hebron since British (or Turkish) times. They were indeed armed, but they had no chance at all of drawing their weapons. The car was simply sprayed with dozens of bullets.

That was not an attempt to make an arrest. That was an execution, pure and simple, one of those summary executions in which the Shin Bet fulfils the roles of prosecutor, judge and executioner.

This time no effort was even made to pretend that the four were about to carry out a murderous attack. It was not claimed, for example, that they had anything to do with last week`s attack on the Mercaz Harav seminary, the flagship of the settlers` fleet. Actually, no such pretense could be put forward, because the most important of the four had recently given interviews to the Israeli media and announced that he was availing himself of the Israeli `pardon scheme` - a Shin Bet program under which `wanted` militants give up their arms and undertake to cease resistance to the occupation. He was also a candidate in the last Palestinian elections.

If so, why where they killed? The Shin Bet did not hide the reason: two of the four had participated in attacks in 2001 in which Israelis were killed."

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