IOF Shoot Dead 2 Palestinians in Gaza, Nablus

IOF Shoot Dead 2 Palestinians in Gaza, Nablus

Child Dies of Wounds Sustained in Assassination Attempt on Rantisi

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed two Palestinians in northern Gaza and Nablus city while a child died of wounds she sustained earlier last week in the Israeli assassination attempt on Hamas political leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi.

According to Palestinian medical sources in Gaza city, eight-year-old Amal al-Jarousha died in hospital from severe wounds she sustained last week when Israeli Apache gunships fired at least five missiles at the car of Hamas leader Rantisi.

Two people were killed in the attack, including an elderly woman, while Rantisi escaped with minor injuries.

Khadra Abu Hamada, 50, who was walking beside Rantisi’s car at the time of the attack, Palestinian security sources said.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli raids on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun and the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

IOF opened fire at a group of Palestinians in Beit Hanoun killing Rafat al-Za’anin, 23 and wounding seven other Palestinians, doctors said.

Beit Hanoun has been under Israeli occupation for more than a month. It has been isolated completely from the rest of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.

Earlier, Israeli occupation troops shot dead an 18-year-old Palestinian, Khaled Saker, when they fired at a group of youth throwing stones at them in the Askar refugee camp near Nablus in the northern West Bank, Palestinian hospital sources said.

At least five other youths were wounded, medical sources added.

IOF invaded the refugee camp on Saturday and imposed a curfew on the residents before carrying out wide-scale house raids.

Meanwhile, IOF demolished seven houses and five orange groves in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.

Palestinians, Israelis Hold Talks

In another matter, Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan met Saturday night with Gen. Amos Gilad, the IOF coordinator in the occupied territory, at the home of the US ambassador to Israel, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported.

The purpose was to discuss an Israeli proposal to withdraw from parts of the Gaza Strip to positions held before the outbreak of Palestinian Intifada against occupation in September 2000.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said that under the latest US proposal, Israel would withdraw from large areas of Gaza and two West Bank cities.

The two sides would also make a new cease-fire declaration, Abed Rabbo said.

On Friday, the Palestinian leadership met to discuss the proposed pullback and decided it was “ready to take security responsibility in every area the Israelis show willingness to withdraw from,” Information Minister Nabil Amre said.

Meanwhile, a high-level delegation of Egyptian security officials are expected to arrive in Gaza today to meet with Hamas officials to discuss a possible truce.

Talks between Palestinian factions and the Palestine National Authourity (PNA) to reach a declaration of cease-fire were halted due to the recent series of Israeli assassinations of Hamas activists.

Israel has said it was widening its campaign against Hamas and would target its top leaders.

In recent days, Israel carried out seven missile strikes against Hamas activists, including the failed attempt on Rantisi’s life. Hamas blew up a Jerusalem bus to avenge Rantisi, and carried out a number of other attacks.

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