The Israeli army raided the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, seizing five Palestinians including an official of Fatah , a Palestinian security source said.
An Israeli spokesman confirmed the arrest Thursday of Nizar Harazil, accused of involvement in a deadly attack on a Jewish settlement.
Meanwhile, five Israeli soldiers were lightly wounded in two separate incidents late Wednesday night in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank village of Tubas east of Jenin, one officer and one soldier were injured in an exchange of gunfire during raids to arrest Palestinians. Israel Radio reported that troops were continuing operations Thursday in the village.
In Gaza Strip, three Israeli soldiers were lightly injured by shrapnel, which most likely came from a mortar shell. In Rafah, Israeli troops arrested a member of the military wing of Fatah-Tanzim.
Earlier, Israeli troops withdrew from positions around Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah. "The Israeli army has evacuated the Muqataa area," said Arafat's top advisor, Nabil Abu Rudeina. "This withdrawal is the result of international efforts and notably those of Europe, as well as contacts made with the United States to end this siege."
An Israeli military official quoted by army radio confirmed earlier Palestinian witness and security source reports the troops were evacuating after invading the city in a sweep for suspected militants. But an Israeli military source said the army was "redeploying" in Ramallah. "We have evacuated certain areas, reducing our forces while still staying for now in other sectors which our forces have occupied," he said.
Senior Arafat aide, Nabil Abu Rudeinah said the new Palestinian cabinet is to meet in Ramallah on Thursday night for the first time since Arafat announced a reshuffle on Sunday as part of the reforms demanded by the United States and Israel. The Israeli raid prevented the cabinet meeting on Monday.
"The meeting will discuss strategy and the beginning of reconstruction as well as the current political efforts to put things back on the right track," Abu Rudeinah told Reuters. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
