IDF invades Arafat's Ramallah compound
By Arieh O'Sullivan
RAMALLAH (March 31) - IDF units were mopping up pockets of resistance in Ramallah last night, after reinvading the city over the weekend to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The incursion isolated Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, who hunkered in the blacked-out basement of the only building of his compound not damaged by the army.
Sporadic street battles took place throughout the weekend, killing Lt. Boaz Pomerantz, 22, of Kiryat Shmona, and St.-Sgt. Roman Shliapstein, 21, of Ma'aleh Efraim. Two soldiers were also wounded.
The Palestinians reported that 11 of their men were killed, including one of Arafat's personal bodyguards, and over 40 wounded.
Soldiers found a large cache of weapons in the compound, said the IDF Spokesman. The weapons include an RPG launcher, 43 RPG bombs, 22 Kalashnikov rifles, Norwegian sniper weapons, grenades, and several different types of ammunition.
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Soldiers also found millions of shekels in counterfeit money, Israel Radio reported. !!!!!!!
Israel insisted repeatedly over the weekend that it would not harm Arafat. However, reports last night claimed Israel was prepared to break into the building where Arafat was holed up to arrest the assassins of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi and PFLP leader Ahmed Sa'adat, who had sought sanctuary with him. Also hiding out with them was Fuad Shubeki, the mastermind of the Karine A Iranian arms shipment intercepted by Israel in the Red Sea on its way to Gaza.
Army Radio said the IDF issued an ultimatum late last night to the fugitives to surrender and started shelling the building with tank fire.
The offensive is just the beginning of a wide-scale campaign which appears to be aimed at destroying as much of the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank as possible. The government insists that it has no intention of remaining in the Palestinian areas permanently, nor does it intend on harming Arafat.
Dubbed "Homat Magen," (Defensive Wall), the operation began early Friday with a two-pronged assault on Ramallah by nearly a division of IDF troops.
An armored force backed by tanks quickly converged on the PA headquarters compound known as the Mukata. Yesterday afternoon, IDF forces moved into Beitunya south of Ramallah and laid siege to the headquarters of Preventative Security Service chief Jabril Rajoub.
Rajoub said on Channel 1 that he would not surrender. The army confirmed that its troops were in the area of Rajoub's headquarters, but declined to give further details.
Over the weekend, Arafat gradually became isolated. While he began Friday with marathon interviews with various media networks, by yesterday morning he had reportedly lost all telephone contact when his remaining cellphone lost power.
Arafat's aides said that they are running out of food and water. But last night the IDF said that electricity and water supplies had been restored to the city.
The tanks moved in on Friday and blasted a hole in one of the walls of the Mukata, after which elite forces poured in and started clearing out the buildings. At one point a soldier was shot dead and another wounded. The entire time soldiers called on those inside the compound to surrender. Many eventually did and were rounded up.
Inside the IDF found a hoard of weapons, which it later displayed. These included an array of anti-tank rockets, mortars, and a host of assault and sniper rifles, along with a large amount of ammunition. They also found an electronic surveillance center for monitoring and tracking IDF movements.
After the IDF took over the Mukata, heavily armored bulldozers moved in and demolished all of the buildings except for the one where Arafat was hiding, Israel Radio said.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that, despite the invasion in Ramallah, there was no reduction in the level of alerts and warnings of terrorist attacks.
"We entered the Mukata, the capital of terror, and it is still too early. We still have a high level of alerts [about pending attacks], but I hope we can repel them," Ben-Eliezer said in an interview with Channel 2.
"We can't seal this country from terrorism completely," said Ben-Eliezer. "But we can't see these Pessah massacres happen anymore." He spoke just a few hours before last night's bombing in Tel Aviv.
Ben-Eliezer also said Israel's military operation is aimed at "destroying the terrorist infrastructure," and not harming Arafat. He said there were some cabinet members who wanted to arrest Arafat, or even send him into exile. In the end, the decision was made to isolate him, since any other move would be counterproductive, he said.
Ben-Eliezer last night convened the heads of the defense establishment for a situation assessment. Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, who had called a press conference for last night, abruptly canceled it, likely due to the meeting.
The IDF declared the entire city of Ramallah a closed military zone and barred journalists from accompanying the troops. At one point, the army even rounded up a group of foreign correspondents and made them leave the town. Others attempting to enter were forced to turn around by soldiers, who fired over their heads.
Foreign news agencies focused their reports yesterday on the deaths of five Palestinian policemen in the city. Their bodies were found on the third floor of a six-story building, each one reportedly shot in the head. The army said they were killed in a firefight with troops.
The Palestinians reported that 11 Palestinians were killed during the weekend and over 40 wounded. Among the 145 arrested in Ramallah was Karim Awis, 22, a key Tanzim leader military sources said was responsible for a slew of attacks and the conscription of suicide bombers.
Also detained was Hader Amin Dabieh, a Fatah member behind two attacks in Israel.
The Palestinians claimed they had been arrested by their security forces, but they were actually apprehended by IDF troops in their homes yesterday. Also detained was Sakher Habash, a founding father of Arafat's Fatah movement. Some 500 men and teenagers were gathered in a schoolyard for questioning, but most were released.
Meanwhile, the IDF began receiving a number of reserve brigades called up on emergency orders. They will serve in the territories along the Green Line, replacing units that have been serving for weeks without rest. Some will also be deployed to protect settlements and others to carry out offensive actions.
By Arieh O'Sullivan
RAMALLAH (March 31) - IDF units were mopping up pockets of resistance in Ramallah last night, after reinvading the city over the weekend to dismantle its terrorist infrastructure. The incursion isolated Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, who hunkered in the blacked-out basement of the only building of his compound not damaged by the army.
Sporadic street battles took place throughout the weekend, killing Lt. Boaz Pomerantz, 22, of Kiryat Shmona, and St.-Sgt. Roman Shliapstein, 21, of Ma'aleh Efraim. Two soldiers were also wounded.
The Palestinians reported that 11 of their men were killed, including one of Arafat's personal bodyguards, and over 40 wounded.
Soldiers found a large cache of weapons in the compound, said the IDF Spokesman. The weapons include an RPG launcher, 43 RPG bombs, 22 Kalashnikov rifles, Norwegian sniper weapons, grenades, and several different types of ammunition.
HUOM!!!!!!!HUOM!!!!! Lukekaa alta! Jerusalemin Post lehdessä julkaistua tekstiä!!!!!!!!
Soldiers also found millions of shekels in counterfeit money, Israel Radio reported. !!!!!!!
Israel insisted repeatedly over the weekend that it would not harm Arafat. However, reports last night claimed Israel was prepared to break into the building where Arafat was holed up to arrest the assassins of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi and PFLP leader Ahmed Sa'adat, who had sought sanctuary with him. Also hiding out with them was Fuad Shubeki, the mastermind of the Karine A Iranian arms shipment intercepted by Israel in the Red Sea on its way to Gaza.
Army Radio said the IDF issued an ultimatum late last night to the fugitives to surrender and started shelling the building with tank fire.
The offensive is just the beginning of a wide-scale campaign which appears to be aimed at destroying as much of the terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank as possible. The government insists that it has no intention of remaining in the Palestinian areas permanently, nor does it intend on harming Arafat.
Dubbed "Homat Magen," (Defensive Wall), the operation began early Friday with a two-pronged assault on Ramallah by nearly a division of IDF troops.
An armored force backed by tanks quickly converged on the PA headquarters compound known as the Mukata. Yesterday afternoon, IDF forces moved into Beitunya south of Ramallah and laid siege to the headquarters of Preventative Security Service chief Jabril Rajoub.
Rajoub said on Channel 1 that he would not surrender. The army confirmed that its troops were in the area of Rajoub's headquarters, but declined to give further details.
Over the weekend, Arafat gradually became isolated. While he began Friday with marathon interviews with various media networks, by yesterday morning he had reportedly lost all telephone contact when his remaining cellphone lost power.
Arafat's aides said that they are running out of food and water. But last night the IDF said that electricity and water supplies had been restored to the city.
The tanks moved in on Friday and blasted a hole in one of the walls of the Mukata, after which elite forces poured in and started clearing out the buildings. At one point a soldier was shot dead and another wounded. The entire time soldiers called on those inside the compound to surrender. Many eventually did and were rounded up.
Inside the IDF found a hoard of weapons, which it later displayed. These included an array of anti-tank rockets, mortars, and a host of assault and sniper rifles, along with a large amount of ammunition. They also found an electronic surveillance center for monitoring and tracking IDF movements.
After the IDF took over the Mukata, heavily armored bulldozers moved in and demolished all of the buildings except for the one where Arafat was hiding, Israel Radio said.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that, despite the invasion in Ramallah, there was no reduction in the level of alerts and warnings of terrorist attacks.
"We entered the Mukata, the capital of terror, and it is still too early. We still have a high level of alerts [about pending attacks], but I hope we can repel them," Ben-Eliezer said in an interview with Channel 2.
"We can't seal this country from terrorism completely," said Ben-Eliezer. "But we can't see these Pessah massacres happen anymore." He spoke just a few hours before last night's bombing in Tel Aviv.
Ben-Eliezer also said Israel's military operation is aimed at "destroying the terrorist infrastructure," and not harming Arafat. He said there were some cabinet members who wanted to arrest Arafat, or even send him into exile. In the end, the decision was made to isolate him, since any other move would be counterproductive, he said.
Ben-Eliezer last night convened the heads of the defense establishment for a situation assessment. Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, who had called a press conference for last night, abruptly canceled it, likely due to the meeting.
The IDF declared the entire city of Ramallah a closed military zone and barred journalists from accompanying the troops. At one point, the army even rounded up a group of foreign correspondents and made them leave the town. Others attempting to enter were forced to turn around by soldiers, who fired over their heads.
Foreign news agencies focused their reports yesterday on the deaths of five Palestinian policemen in the city. Their bodies were found on the third floor of a six-story building, each one reportedly shot in the head. The army said they were killed in a firefight with troops.
The Palestinians reported that 11 Palestinians were killed during the weekend and over 40 wounded. Among the 145 arrested in Ramallah was Karim Awis, 22, a key Tanzim leader military sources said was responsible for a slew of attacks and the conscription of suicide bombers.
Also detained was Hader Amin Dabieh, a Fatah member behind two attacks in Israel.
The Palestinians claimed they had been arrested by their security forces, but they were actually apprehended by IDF troops in their homes yesterday. Also detained was Sakher Habash, a founding father of Arafat's Fatah movement. Some 500 men and teenagers were gathered in a schoolyard for questioning, but most were released.
Meanwhile, the IDF began receiving a number of reserve brigades called up on emergency orders. They will serve in the territories along the Green Line, replacing units that have been serving for weeks without rest. Some will also be deployed to protect settlements and others to carry out offensive actions.
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Vanhimmat
propagandahan kuuluu sodankäyntiin. Ei kaikki ole totta, mitä lehdessä lukee...
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mitenkäs tuollaiseen johtopäätökseen tulit?