Israeli agents and large numbers of Israeli troops, including units of most of the military's special forces, carried out an aggressive operation in the West Bank city of Ramallah and the nearby town of al-Bireh Monday. At least four Palestinians were shot dead, including a 9-year-old boy.
Occupation soldiers killed three Palestinian fighters in the course of the operation, two of them in Al-Amari refugee camp near the city, and a third in a Ramallah neighborhood, Israel Radio and Palestinian sources said. Palestinian sources said the boy was killed by Israeli fire in al-Bireh.
The four were named Mohammed Salameh, 37, Saleh Mohammed Talahmeh, 40, and Sayyed al-Sheikh Qassem, as well as nine-year-old Mazen Hamadan, according to Palestinian hospital sources Monday.
The operation, reportedly planned in advance, was directed against what is considered by Israel to be Hamas members, who have acted "deep underground," in particular secrecy.
Palestinian witnesses said dozens of people were detained, including a Hamas leader, Ghassan Abassi. Hamas website reported that Israeli troops arrested Sheikh Fadel Saleh, a prominent religious leader for the entire central West Bank area.
Israeli military officials confirmed 29 arrests, and said they had uncovered an explosives laboratory, which the army had destroyed. Palestinian witnesses said the army had destroyed an old house and an Internet cafe.
During the raid, the Israeli military said it had no intention of confronting Palestinian Authority forces or doing harm to the Palestinian President's HQ in the city.
Hamas in Ramallah is headed by Sheikh Ibrahim Hamad, who has been wanted by Israel for several years.
Eyewitnesses said troops arrived in dozens of jeeps and the sounds of explosions and gunfire were heard in Ramallah's Masyon neighborhood, one of dozens where the arrests were being carried out.
In the afternoon, hours before the raid ended, Israeli soldiers surrounded a four-story building in the city, telling residents to take out their belongings and leave the premises. The building was then demolished by explosives, leaving 60 people homeless, Palestinian sources said.
Elsewhere, a Palestinian was wounded early Monday by Israeli gunfire in Jenin while another was arrested in the nearby Burqeen town, Palestinian medical and security sources confirmed.
Palestinian medical sources of “Khalil Solieman” hospital said that Ahmed Abu Khalil, 40, was wounded by a bullet in his shoulder during the heavy shooting fired by the Israeli troops while raiding the area.
And, in Burqeen, the Israeli troops arrested Fayez Al Shayeb,18, and led him to an undisclosed location, Palestinian security sources said.
Also on Monday the Israel Army blew up a house in the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian witnesses said. The three-story building belonged to of Ahmed Othaman Shafik Bader, a Hamas activist assassinated by Israeli forces in September, the witnesses said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
