- The Israeli army rolled out an operation to seize a stretch
of territory and create a "buffer zone" in the northern Gaza
Strip yesterday, killing at least six Palestinians and wounding more than
20 in battles lasting several hours.
-
- Fighting raged in the sprawling Jabalya refugee camp
as Palestinian fighters, taking cover in its narrow alleys, took on Israeli
soldiers who had pushed deep into the camp for the first time. Militants
were seen laying explosive charges.
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- The clashes came after more than 100 tanks and armoured
vehicles rumbled into the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday night following
the security cabinet's approval of what has been ominously called Operation
Days of Penitence.
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- While Israeli troops seized a United Nations building
and other key sites in the densely populated camp - where some 100,000
Palestinians live - Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters roamed the streets,
carrying rocket propelled grenades and shoulder-launched missiles. The
air was thick with black smoke from burning tyres as fighters sought to
limit the army's visibility.
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- The Israelis say the operation is aimed at securing a
five-mile stretch of territory in the northern Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas
militants firing rockets into the Israeli town of Sderot. On Wednesday
two Israeli children were killed and several injured when two rockets were
fired from the Gaza Strip.
-
- Even though the "extended and large scale"
operation won unanimous approval in the security cabinet there were sharp
differences, with the justice minister, Yosef Lapid, opposing it.
-
- By last night questions were already being asked about
the effectiveness of pushing into Jabalya after operations in the Gaza
town of Beit Hanoun in July and August failed to stop the rocket attacks.
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- The Israeli government has said its punitive operation
is open-ended.
-
- On Thursday about 30 Palestinians were killed and more
than 100 injured in one of the bloodiest days of the four-year intifada.
A tank shell killed seven people, including unarmed teenagers, according
to witnesses.
-
- As violence flared yesterday the army said it fired a
missile from a helicopter at three suspected Hamas militants in the camp
trying to launch a Qassam rocket into Israeli territory, killing all three.
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- Israeli special forces also raided a Palestinian police
position near the Erez checkpoint, arresting seven Palestinians. One man
was killed attempting to escape, Israeli officials said.
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- Two other Palestinians were reported killed by Israeli
tank fire in Jabalya.
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/02/wmid02.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/10/02/ixworld.html
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