Israeli forces moved into Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank early on Tuesday following a Palestinian attack on a kibbutz that killed five Israelis.
Israeli security sources had said earlier that Israel had decided on military retaliation in Tulkarem and Nablus because they were suspected of links to Sunday night's assault on the collective farm community inside Israel. A senior Israeli military official said Israel knew the shooter and his accomplices came from Tulkarem, but were dispatched from Nablus.
Palestinian witnesses and security sources said some 30 tanks, armored troop carriers and jeeps stormed into Tulkarem's camp and fanned through the streets.
According to Reuters, they reported heavy gunfire from Israeli troops.
In the Gaza Strip's Rafah refugee camp on Monday night, a two-year-old Palestinian child was shot dead by Israeli fire, medics said. Officials at Rafah Hospital officials said Nafez Mashal died from a bullet wound to the back. They said two other children, ages 8 and 14, were moderately wounded.
The dead baby's uncle said there was no fighting going on at the time he was killed. "The boy was playing with a small ball — suddenly we came under fire," said Mohammed Mashal, the uncle, according to AP. "When we looked toward the boy we found him lying on the ground in a pool of his blood."
The new violence clouded U.S. envoy David Satterfield's mission to push a new peace "roadmap" entailing reciprocal steps by the two sides -- mainly Palestinian reforms and Israeli military withdrawals -- leading to a Palestinian state in 2005. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
