Israel Pursues The Detentions And Home Destruction

Fathi Al Sabbah     Al-Hayat     2003/09/24

A Palestinian activist was shot dead by Israeli forces yesterday while they pursued their aggressions: demolishing houses, curettage of lands and detentions.

According to Palestinian sources Marwan Ahmad Al Najjar (19) was shot dead in a military combat that lasted around 30 minutes with the Israeli soldiers, deployed around the Eli settlement north of the Gaza Strip.

Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, admitted responsibility of the attacks, adding that Al Najjar was attacking an Israeli military post near the settlement

On the other hand, a teacher and a student in an elementary school of an aid agency affiliated to UNRWA were wounded in the Rafah Camp.

Medical sources said that the teacher Ismail Mansour (26) and the student (13) were wounded when the Israeli forces opened random fire from one of their military posts.

This incident indicates that the bombing and the aggressions on Rafah are being pursued for the second day, while the occupying forces were building a new watchtower west of Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood.

Destroying houses in Khazaa

Palestinian security sources said that the Israeli army penetrated deeply in Khazaa, east of Khan Younis, sweeping away agriculture land, destroying a Palestinian security post before withdrawing from the town.

South west of the city, the occupation authorities informed four families that they would demolish their houses soon.

A family was capable of obtaining an urgent Israeli court order prohibiting the destruction of their house in Jerusalem. Israeli forces also detained eight Palestinians in Nablus and other towns.

While Israeli sources said that Israeli security troops detained seven Palestinian on Monday night "suspecting they are involved in carrying out (suicide) attacks against Israel;" the majority of which are members of Hamas.

The sources added that a bomb blew up in the neighborhood of the Jewish Morag settlement, north of Rafah, and another one north east of the city. A third bomb was discovered next to the crossing point south west of Deir Al-Balah, without causing casualties.