Israeli Terrorists Kills 2 Palestinians, Injures Two, Abbas Says He Has No Peace Partner in the Israeli Side

Israeli drone kills Palestinian, wound four in Rafah

[ 02/02/2009 - 09:53 PM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)--

In fresh Israeli violation of the ceasefire in Gaza Strip, an Israeli drone targeted a civilian car with a missile, east of Rafah city, killing one person and wounding four others.

The martyr was identified as Ayman Abu Jazar, 25, who was affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).

Israeli political leaders, including Israeli premier Ehud Olmert and his foreign minister Tzipi Livni warned of "disproportionate" reprisal to Palestinian rockets fired against Israeli targets.

The Israeli occupation terrorist army had killed more than 1340 Palestinian citizens in Gaza, and wounded more than 5500 others in 23 days of relentless attacks and air strikes on the tiny Strip that also damaged the infrastructure of the Strip completely.

According to a report prepared by the international solidarity institution, and a copy of which was obtained by the PIC, 936 Palestinian citizens, including 382 children and 97 women, were killed by IOF troops during the last month of January.

Six Palestinians were also killed with IOF bullets in the West Bank, but the report pointed out that the number of the Palestinian martyrs could noticeably increase in the light of the big number (more than 300) of the wounded Palestinians who were reportedly in serious condition.

Israeli fire kills one Palestinian, injures two fighters in Rafah

Date: 02 / 02 / 2009  Time:  14:19
Gaza – Ma’an –

 Israeli terrorist attacks on Gaza escalated starting Sunday evening after two Israeli soldiers were injured by Palestinian projectile fire near the Strip.

The latest Israeli fire killed one and injured two Al-Nasser Salahuddin fighters in a car near Rafah on Monday afternoon.

The men were in an unmarked car and were transferred to Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar hospital for treatment, said Head of Ambulance and Emergency Services Muawiya Hassanain. He also identified the deceased as 27-year-old Ayman Abu Jazar.

Following the attack the An-Nasser brigades launched five homemade projectiles at Karm Abu Salem crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, and sent a statement saying the attacks were the result of the Israeli killing of their fighter.

Earlier Monday Israeli sources said three mortar shells landed is the Eshkol area of southern Israel, no injuries were reported.

Overnight Sunday Israeli aircraft targeted the Rafah-tunnel system beside Egypt, and shelled four sites including the de facto government police headquarters and three other sites in Rafah.

Gaza residents in As-Salam and Al-Barazil neighborhoods received phone calls playing recorded messages from Israel telling them to evacuate their homes, particularly those close to the tunnels.

Despite the escalation students were in classes and workers at their posts, but many fear a large-scale Israeli assault in the coming hours.


***Updated 14:40 Bethlehem time

Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli terrorist soldiers in southern Hebron

Date: 02 / 02 / 2009  Time:  13:49
Hebron – Ma’an –

A Palestinian civilian was shot dead and four others were injured when Israeli terrorist soldiers opened fire on a car in southern Hebron, security sources told Ma’an.

An Israeli military spokesperson claimed the man was armed and had opened fire at the soldiers, who fired back in retaliation.

The deceased was identified by Palestinian medical sources as 27-year-old Taysir Shihdah Ali Manassrah from Bani Nu'eim when his body was delivered to them on Monday afternoon.

After the body was handed over to Palestinian medics, a Red Crescent ambulance transferred him to the Ramallah governmental hospital, where his family will pick up his remains for burial.

The alleged clash took place near the Beit Yatir settlement. Israeli sources said Taysir opened fire on soldiers at a checkpoint.

They claimed to have found a Kalashnikov near his body after the incident.

Meanwhile, other Israeli sources said Taysir’s car was booby trapped, and said he had likely intended to enter Israel and undertake a “suicide operation.”

Palestinian Authority security sources rejected both clams, insisting he was much more likely a worker attempting to enter Israel with other laborers at the time of the shooting. The PA said the man was near the border with Beersheva.

Witnesses told Ma’an two Israeli ambulances were seen transporting the injured.


***Updated 15:09 Bethlehem time

A Palestinian civilian dies of wounds sustained during the Israeli attack on Gaza

Monday February 02, 2009 12:08 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

A Palestinian man from Gaza was reported dead in an Egyptian hospital on Monday morning, medical sources reported. 

Injured civilian by the Israeli shells believed to contains white phosphorus and dense metals fired at Gaza during the latest attack– Photo by WAFA

The man, Mohamed Al Sawafrey, was injured when Israeli jet fighters shelled his home in the al-Zayton area in Gaza City on January 12th, 2009.

Doctors said that he sustained critical wounds, and was moved to Egypt for treatment last week.  The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Monday that the number of those killed in the latest Israeli attack on the Costal Region has reached 1,340, adding that 5500 were injured, among them 300 in critical conditions. 

The Ministry added that the number of those killed may increase in the coming days. Israel announced the unilateral ceasefire on Sunday January 17th, 2009 after the Israeli Army embarked on a 22-day military offensive, which began on Saturday, December 27th, 2008.  Homes, schools, mosques, UN centers, and media agencies were attacked by Israeli air, sea, and ground forces.

During pre dawn invasions the Israeli army kidnaps 8 Palestinian civilians from the West Bank

Monday February 02, 2009 15:40 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Eight Palestinian civilians where kidnapped by the Israeli terrorist forces during pre dawn invasions targeting several parts of the West Bank on Monday.

file 2008

  The Israeli radio said that those eight are on the army "Wanted" list; the radio added that the eight have been moved to military detention centers. 

Palestinian sources reported that the kidnappings took place in Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and Jenin cities and nearby villages, adding that all those kidnapped are civilians.

Despondent Abbas tells Mitchell: Israel wants war, not peace

Date: 02 / 02 / 2009  Time:  18:47
Bethlehem - Ma’an/Agencies -

Acting Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas despaired over negotiations with Israel, showed anger and resentment at their actions in Gaza and told US Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell that Israel “absolutely demonstrated” its goal is war and not peace.

The words, according to a source for the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Monday, were exchanged between Abbas and Mitchell during their first meeting after Mitchell was appointed to his post by American President Barack Obama.

Abbas' desperation was said to have come as a surprise for Mitchell.

Abbas outlined the failure of the Oslo accords from 1993/4, he slammed the Israeli decision to continue building settlements across the West Bank, especially after the Annapolis conference in 2007. He reaffirmed to Mitchell that despite US efforts at the conference Israel increased the rate at which they built settlements over 2007-8.

Revealing frustration and hopelessness heretofore un-expressed by the stoic Abbas, he continued listing the failures of the peace process. Since negotiation began, he said, Israel has carried out brutal operations against the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. They waged Operation Defensive Shield to get rid of Arafat’s leaders, and when Arafat died Israel claimed the new President, Abbas himself, was too weak to secure a final settlement.

I have no negotiating partner, he is reported to have said.

"The latest Gaza war practically began in the days of Ariel Sharon, who withdrew from Gaza and dismantled the settlements under a unilateral decision without coordination or understandings. At the time, Israel knew that weapons were smuggled for Hamas, but it did not object and did not utter a word. However, when we openly and publicly asked for weapons to reinforce our security forces and impose the rule of law, Sharon vehemently rejected the request.

“Afterward, we saw how they withheld funds from us after Hamas won in democratic elections at a time when funds reached Hamas through tunnels and in suitcases. Thus began the loss of the security agencies.

“When Hamas carried out its coup, the petty game of rockets began while preparation began to perpetuate this Palestinian division to separate the Gaza entity from the West Bank.

“Then came the mad war, which was never aimed at weakening Hamas. Rather, its aim was to strengthen Hamas at the expense of the bodies of children, women, and other innocent people and at the expense of the destruction, so that we, as Palestinians, may remain divided, and the Israelis would say: "We have no partner for the negotiations, and the Palestinian people are busy with themselves and not interested in a state."

"We regard Hamas's sons as our sons,” he said, and promised to get in the way of Israel’s plans to conquer the Palestinians.

“There are a large number of nationalists and sincere ones among them [Hamas members], and they will discover the truth of this plot. If they do not punish the members of their leadership who work for a division and serve the goals of regional parties that have their own calculations disregarding our interests, they will turn their backs on these members. However, they will not allow the plot that aims to strike their people to be pushed through."

Meanwhile, Palestine’s foremost negotiator on Monday said Israel’s continuous construction of settlements in East Jerusalem amounts to “a deadly bullet” in the peace process.

Particularly construction on privately owned Palestinian land in the E1 area of occupied East Jerusalem is destroying prospects for peace, according to the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Affairs Department, Ahmad Qurei.

The PLO official said settlement growth there is as dangerous as Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, saying they have overall the same effect on peace. But he did condemn the killing of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the demolitions of buildings there, calling Israel’s actions there “another way to put down the Palestinian dream.”


***Updated 20:12 Bethlehem time