Beijing
Israeli army raids villages around Ramallah
www.chinaview.cn 2003-09-10 19:21

  GAZA, Sept. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli army forces backed by tanks and helicopters raided villages near the West Bank town of Ramallah early Wednesday, local residents said.

  They said that the Israeli soldiers raided dozens of houses in the Rantees village alone and detained about 40 Palestinians, where Israeli security intelligence said that the two bombers of Tuesday blast attack in Israel are from the village.

  The Israeli intelligence security sources revealed that the bombers are Ihab Abu Salim and Ramez Abu Salim, and both are members of Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) armed wing, Izel DinAl Qassam.

  Israel Wednesday carried out its first retaliatory military action following the two attacks, striking by F16 warplane bomb on the home of Mahmoud Azzahar, a senior Hamas movement leader, killing his son and his bodyguard and wounding some 20 others including himself and his daughter-in-law.

  Right after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's return from India, the Israeli security apparatuses are scheduled to hold an emergency meeting later on Wednesday to decide what would be the Israeli reaction to the bombing attacks, Israeli Radio reported.

  The Radio said that Israel had tightened the closure that was imposed on the Palestinian territories, as well as its security andmilitary measures in the West bank and Gaza Strip.

  Meanwhile, the Israeli government officially accused Hamas for being responsible for Tuesday's twin suicide bombing attacks in east of Tel Aviv and in Jerusalem, in which at least 15 Israelis were killed, half of them are soldiers.

  However, Hamas armed wing Izel Din Al Qassam didn't say clearly in a leaflet issued right after the two bombing attacks that it claims responsibility for the two attacks, saying it is the receiptthat Israel has to pay for the daily crimes Israel carried out against the Palestinians. Enditem.


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