INDEPENDENT NEWS

Violence Escalates Through Palestinian Territories

Published: Fri 17 Oct 2003 10:20 AM
IOF Kills a Palestinian and Wounds Five Including Three Minors
RAFAH, Gaza Strip - The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) killed morning today a Palestinian and wounded five others including three children during an Israeli incursion in “Al Barazil” neighborhood of Rafah, south of Gaza Strip, IPC Correspondent said.
Waleed Abed Al Wahab , 30, was killed and five others were wounded, identified as Wessam Abu Lebda, 20, critically wounded, Hamed Al Ranteisi, 15, wounded with shrapnel, Khaled Burbakh, 21, a live bullet in the foot and shrapnel in the chest and hand, Marwan Mossa, 17, shrapnel in the left foot , and 12-year old Mohammed Abu Jazer, shrapnel in the chest, medical sources of Abu Yousef Al Najar hospital in Rafah declared.
The Palestinian security directorate mentioned that more than 50 tanks and armored personnel carriers supported by US-made “Apache” helicopters, swept into Al Brazil neighborhood, south of Rafah City.
In the incursion, which is still ongoing till now, the Israeli soldiers ravaged the aforementioned neighborhood, storming in the houses, searching and messing up its contents. Snipers also took positions on the rooftops of houses, shooting indiscriminately at civilians, locals told IPC correspondent.
They added that the residents have been seethed in terror and fear amongst the children as explosions and random bursts of fire shook the neighborhood.
Ali Mossa, director general of Abu Yousef Al Najar hospital of Rafah, said that the medical crews and ambulances were disallowed to enter the neighborhood by the occupying forces, and threatened them to open fire at their tires if they try to cross.
The locals also accounted there was a number of wounded citizens scattered in the streets, bleeding severely and shouting loudly for help but no one could manage to do anything, as the Israeli forces denied medical crews access, opened fire intensely in every direction and confined the residents to their houses after imposing a strict curfew using loudspeakers.
All of Rafah city plunged into darkness as power was cut off when the main pylon was shelled by the Israeli shooting, locals added.
Eyewitnesses told IPC correspondent that the Israeli forces have razed vast areas in the “Al Barazil” neighborhood; the amount of the devastation has not yet been recorded.
The Israeli incursion into Rafah City is the third within a week. On last Friday, October 10, the Israeli occupation forces had massacred nine Palestinians, wounded tens and more than 200 houses were destroyed besides the razing of vast arable lands and uprooting of fruitful groves, tearing up water pipes, electricity and telephones cables.
The Palestinian national authority had announced Rafah as a “disaster zone”.
Three days later, IOF swept again into Rafah City, knocking down a couple of houses in Zu’rub area, west of Rafah City, wounding five Palestinians and rounding up scores.

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