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George Rishmawi, IMEMC & Agencies - Thursday, 04 January 2007, 16:58
Four Palestinians were killed and at least 20 were wounded in the clashes, three of which were described as serious. One of the killed was identified as Yousef Abdul Qader, 23, Palestinian sources reported.
The source said that a large Israeli force invaded the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday afternoon accompanied with bulldozers, a number of military vehicles and border police, and backed by Helicopters.
Troops opened random gunfire and tear gas canisters forcing the residents who were doing their shopping. Army jeeps and bulldozers surrounded a building claiming that a wanted Palestinian is hiding there.
Palestinian resistance fighters and rock throwing youth, clashed with the invading Israeli troops who took position in the Manara Square, in the city center, causing serious damage. Bulldozers also damaged a large number of cars parked at the roadsides.
Soon after the army withdrew, thousands of residents took to the streets in a large demonstration.
Palestinian medical sources reported that during the invasion, the ambulances and medics are unable to reach the occupied area.
Fadi Al-Arouri, a journalist works for Maan News Agency, was wounded in the head by Israeli troops.
Israeli army sources said the military operation in Ramallah is targeting a Palestinian resistance fighter from Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigade.
Media sources reported that prior to the military invasion; undercover Israeli agents entered Ramallah in bid to arrest a claimed wanted Palestinians, however they were revealed by local residents.
Apparently, the undercover agents called for backup with brought this large force to the city.
Palestinian sources said the target of this operation was wounded, but was not captured by the Israeli army.
In a separate incident, Israeli troops invaded the West Bank city of Bethlehem and surrounded a house on the Bethlehem-Hebron road. One Palestinian was wounded identified as Mohammad Abu Zeid.
Eyewitnesses said Abu Zeid has been detained after he was injured.
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Israeli forces storm Ramallah and kill six Palestinians
(Ramallah) Rashid Hilal - Thursday, 04 January 2007
Israeli forces stormed the central West Bank's Ramallah late Thursday afternoon with at least 30 military vehicles under the cover of helicopters. Members of the armed resistance arrived in an attempt to stave off the invasion.
Israeli forces killed a total of six Palestinians during the invasion, including Yousef Mahmoud Dour, Ala' Fawaz Hamran and Khalil Badawi. Israeli forces also injured at least 20 people, among them a press photographer Fadi Al Aruri. Two of the injured later died. Israeli forces also destroyed dozens of parked cars.
Palestinian security sources report that the Israeli invasion targeted a member of the Fateh linked armed resistance wing Al Aqsa Brigades. No arrests were made.
After the Israelis withdrew, Ramallah residents crowded the area shouting against the occupation and for Palestine.
Comments
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Bizarre description of events
05.01.2007 14:27
a) The raid was by a small force of disguised Israeli commandos attempted to arrest the target. Unwilling to submit, he pulled a gun and resisted. Enough young armed Palestinians came to his defense with small arms and molotov coctails (and rocks) so that although wounded, the target was able to escape.
b) The commandos were now trapped. They had to call in the light armor to keep from being wiped out.
c) By this time enough Palestinain fighters had assembled that it even required air cover in the form of helicopter gunships to enable the trapped Israeli force to successfully retreat.
The Israelis were unable to arrest the target AND had difficulty extricating themselves. It is reported (so far) that four people were killed in what was obviously a fair sized "fire fight". Perhaps that is just the "civilian" casualties (known as "collaterals") and there were more killed on each side among the fighters -- presumably there WERE casualties among those doing the actual fighting. It would be very strange in a fire fight of this size if there were not. Unarmed is a tricky word when it's close combat using hand grenades and molotov coctails (you DON'T count as "unarmed" because you have just thrown your bottle and haven't yet picked up the next).
Mike Novack
e-mail:
stepbystpefarm mtdata.com
Is that Sgt. Novack?
05.01.2007 14:59
People got to watch this one on Al Jazeera - they are in a position to judge for themselves. Perhaps you've served in the Israeli army Mr. Novack, and this leads you to filter it and misdescribe it in your own way.
The undercover occupying forces usually carry out assassinations, of course they're going to be resisted. If the plan was to take prisoners the tanks and APCs would have come in in full force right at the start.;
"presumably there WERE casualties among those doing the actual fighting"
Feel free to post up a report of the dead Israeli soldier or soldiers anytime you want. If you cannot, then you are patently bullshitting.
Certainly it appears that the Commanding Officer has invoked the wrath of the Israeli govy:
""I don't think this operation should have been carried out on the day of a visit by the Israeli Prime Minister to a country in which we have a supreme strategic interest," Ben-Eliezer said. "Our relations with Egypt are more important to us than anything else."
If Israeli ministers are finally seeing that their disproportionate responses do affect their relations with their neighbours, then it is time to stop the assassinations, detention without trial and heavy handed operations in busy town centres.
Killing Palestinians in broad daylight outside the offices of Al Jazeera is only going to make Israel even more unpopular than it already is. Mubarak might be prepared to whore himself to the US and Israeli states but the people of Egypt are not.
Self Defence is No Offence
Instant justice required asap
05.01.2007 20:36
So the Israeli army enters Palestinian territory to arrest a palestinian citizen, under some international agreement ? in disguise, as what ? of course they don't need to explain to anyone who they are, like show ID or whatever.
Unwilling to submit, he pulled a gun and resisted. Enough young armed Palestinians came to his defense with small arms and molotov coctails (and rocks) so that although wounded, the target was able to escape.
so this guy who is going about his business resists arrest to a bunch of people, in disguise, who have no legal right to arrest other people come to his aid, six of them are killed and others injuried and everything is just fine
and dandy !!! well thats all sorted out then. If the Israelis decide that some bloke is a suspect for anything that
tickles their fancy then he's as good dead and he obviously deserves all he gets and so does anyone esle who
gets in their way. brilliant .
gun law
Even weirder is the response to what I said
06.01.2007 15:07
But what is really surprising is the response to what I wrote. I thought that was a value free DESCRIPTION of events as they unfolded -- scacely a justification of Israeli actions. My objection was to the initial description making the Palestinians look like helpless victims. They came out well in this engagement, successfully fighting off and pinning down the Israeli commandos who then had to be rescued by the armor and the whole party forced to retreat under the cover of the gunships.
I think you need to take a look at yourselves and your own motivations. What is there about YOUR partisanship that makes you unable to understand descriptions (as opposed to evaluations). I make no bones about being partisan on the Israeli side -- but that does not make me unable to talk about "what took place" or to conduct an evaluation in military terms as opposed to moral terms.
The capture attempt by the commandos failed.
They had to be rescued by armor.
Even the armored column couldn't extricate itself without air support.
You saw me say MORE than that? You saw in what I said any statement of justification of the original Israeli raid?
Mike Novack
e-mail:
stepbystpefarm mtdata.com