Intifada 2000 (al-Aqsa Intifada): Series of "Real-Time" EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning Major Civil Unrest in the West Bank/Gaza Strip/Jerusalem -- 01 Aug 2001 to 27 May 2002 [Part 5 of 5 Part Series]

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15:00CDT/23:00 Jerusalem time - 27 May 2002

Petach Tikvah, Israel (EmergencyNet News) According to reports from the region, a suicide bomber killed two people, and wounded at least 50 others in the Em Hamoshavot Shopping Center on Gissin Street, at about 18:35 local time. Police Commander Aaron Franco announced earlier the presence of the security guard at the Petach Tikvah shopping center probably prevented an even larger number of dead and wounded. The security guard stopped the bomber from actually entering the café and as a result, the explosive device was detonated in front of the crowded establishment, IsraelNN.com reported.

The Al-Aqsa Brigade of the Fatah organization reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. Hamas' Sheik Ahmed Yassin also released a statement vowing to continue to strike out against Israeli targets. Israeli police, intelligence and IDF forces remain on high alert for additional attacks.

24 May 2002

ISRAEL: A car wheeled sharply and barreled toward the crowded nightclub with a load of pipe bombs inside. A security guard opened fire, killing the driver and preventing what authorities said was the second of two major attacks targeting Tel Aviv in less than 24 hours. An alert guard thwarted the attacker's plan to blow up the "Studio 49" club, where about 200 people were dancing early Friday. Tel Aviv police commander Yossi Sedbon said: "A big tragedy was averted here." On Thursday, a bomb went off under a tanker truck at Israel's main fuel depot, just outside Tel Aviv, but the blast did not ignite the huge fuel tanks and nobody was hurt.

23 May 2002

ISRAEL: A bomb attached to a tanker truck exploded today at Israel's biggest fuel depot in what police said was likely a Palestinian terror attack. The blast ripped through the driver's cabin and sent fuel pouring onto the tarmac, but the fire was quickly extinguished and no one was hurt. Palestinian terrorists have carried out dozens of homicide bombings in Israeli cities, but the blast at the fuel depot appeared to signal a shift toward new targets. This week, security officials said they uncovered a plot to explode trucks laden with a ton of explosives under the twin Azrieli Towers in Tel Aviv, Israel's tallest buildings.

21:30 Israeli time/13:30CDT - 22 May 2002

Another Explosion Reported in Israel

Rishon Letzion, ISRAEL (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and preliminary reports coming from Tel Aviv indicate that a number of ambulances are responding to a reported explosion near Rothschild Street and Herzl Street, in Rishon Letzion, the scene of another recent and deadly suicide bombing. the incident is believed to have been in a shopping mall area. There are believed to be an unspecified number of deaths and at least 25 people wounded, although specific numbers are not currently unavailable. Callers are reporting hearing "a loud blast" and seeing a significant amount of smoke in the area. Following standard procedures for such incidents, police and EOD experts are now searching for a possible second explosive device in a nearby bus station. Additional confirmed details will be published as they become available...

20 May 2002

More Bombs Go Off In Israel

ISRAEL: A Palestinian blew himself up at a police checkpoint in northern Israel on Monday, less than 24 hours after another bomber killed himself and three others at a market in the Israeli town of Netanya. The Israeli army is reported to have staged an incursion into Palestinian-ruled territory, sending an infantry unit and tanks into Tulkarm, which is located lies eight miles from Netanya. Earlier, an army spokesman said Israel would continue its current policy of specific raids into Palestinian towns to root out militants, rather than conducting a broader military operation.

Two separate Palestinian militant groups, HAMAS and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed responsibility for Sunday's blast -- which was the most damaging such attack for 12 days. Monday's bombing was intended to target the Israeli town of Afula, police said. Like Netanya, Afula has been the target of numerous Palestinian attacks in the 20-month-long uprising against Israeli occupation.

10:00CDT - 19 May 2002

At Least Two Killed and More than 40 Wounded in Latest Terror Attack in Netanya

Netanaya, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Police are now reporting two fatalities in the Netanya  marketplace attack that occurred at about 4:15pm local time. Over 40 people have been wounded, with at least seven listed in serious condition. The wounded have been transported to three area hospitals. Reports from eyewitnesses indicate the suicide bomber arrived at the marketplace in a taxi. Unconfirmed reports indicate he/she may have been dressed in an IDF uniform. Police report the bomb that detonated on Shoham Street was very large and included shrapnel and steel nails to maximize the deadly impact of the blast. Both Hamas and PFLP have claimed responsibility for the blast...

11 May 2002

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS

HAMAS Threatens To Carry Out More Homicide Bombings

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (right), spiritual leader and founder of the HAMAS terrorist group said in an interview published on Saturday that the Palestinian militant group would continue to use homicide bombings against Israel. He also told Kuwait's al-Qabas news- paper that HAMAS had many requests from Palestinian youths to carry out homicide bombings, including females whom he sickly described as "reserve soldiers in the long battle." He said homicide bombings were one of the "forms of resistance open against the enemy."

When asked about an order by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to halt homicide bombings, Yassin added: "HAMAS always considers the higher interests of the Palestinian people ... We have in the past stopped martyrdom operations against the enemy. But they did not stop their killing of our people, our leaders and officials. That is why we are no longer obligated by our previous initiative..." (Article continues in ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Saturday, May 11, 2002-Vol. 8, No. 131-09:00CDT)

10 May 2002

WEST BANK: A standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen at the Church of the Nativity ended after 39 days on Friday, with 13 suspected militants flown into exile and 26 released into the Gaza Strip. Friday's deal ended a week of cliffhanger negotiations on the standoff in the church, built over Jesus' traditional birthplace. Even as the deal came, Israeli forces were massing near the Gaza Strip for a possible strike in retaliation for homicide bombings, including one this week that left 15 Israelis dead and was claimed by the Islamic militant group HAMAS.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Security sources and EMS personnel said that at least three people were wounded when an explosion rocked the center of the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Friday. Israel Radio cited witnesses as saying the blast near a bank office may have been caused by a bomb or a hand grenade. It reported that police arrested one suspect and were looking for another. Security sources said three people were slightly wounded.

00:00CDT/08:00 Jerusalem time - 10 May 2002

Bethlehem (EmergencyNet News) -- The evacuation of the Church of the nativity is finally underway on Friday morning, marking the end of a standoff in one of Christianity's holiest shrines, that has lasted more than five weeks. According to a report from the Associated Press, the first people to emerge were 13 Palestinian militants - reportedly members of Israel's most-wanted terrorist list - who are expected to be deported to Cyprus, and then on to exile in several countries in Europe.

Authorities say they will be followed by 26 other suspected militants, who are to be taken to the Gaza strip, and about 85 civilians, who are to then be freed. All of those exiting the Church are being thoroughly searched by Israeli forces and loaded into buses. The arrangement reached with European negotiators will then clear the way for Israeli forces to withdraw from the last West Bank city, as demanded by the Palestinians.

12:00CDT/20:00 Israeli time - 09 May 2002

Tanks Headed For Gaza; Hamas Calls for More Attacks

GAZA STRIP: Tanks moved toward Gaza today, after Israel's Cabinet approved retaliation for Palestinian suicide bombings. Meanwhile, Palestinians arrested 16 HAMAS members in a first sign that Yasser Arafat was taking action against terror groups. As they complimented Arafat for making a statement in Arabic condemning terrorist attacks, the White House also said today that a key test of Palestinian leaders' intentions will be whether the 16 HAMAS members will remain in custody. No senior member of the group, which the State Department lists as a terrorist organization, was among those arrested.

In a related report, Sheik Ahmed Yassin the reported spiritual advisor to the Hamas militant organization, said that Hamas has vowed to continue to attack Israel. The blind and paraplegic Yassin is quoted as saying, "The Palestinian people will continue the armed struggle and resistance as long as occupation exists on our land. We fear God only and we don't fear the aggression." Yassin had previously been placed under "house arrest" by Palestinian forces, but was later released.

08 May 2002

ISRAEL: Israel readied on Wednesday for a tough response to a Palestinian suicide bombing in a suburban pool hall, with a new large-scale military operation and the expulsion of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat raised as options for the Israeli Cabinet. In a new attack Wednesday, just 12 hours after the pool hall bombing, a bomber detonated explosives, apparently prematurely, at a road junction in northern Israel. The assailant was critically wounded, but caused no injuries to bystanders. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who received word of Tuesday's pool hall bombing during a White House meeting with POTUS, cut short his trip and promised "swift retaliation."

In a related report, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat reportedly told Palestinians in a televised interview that he has ordered security services to prevent terror attacks against Israeli civilians. The address came after a Palestinian homicide bomber kill 15 bystanders at an Israeli pool hall in a Tel Aviv suburb. Arafat said: "I gave my orders and directions to all the Palestinian security forces to confront and prevent all terror attacks against Israeli civilians from any Palestinian side or parties and at the same time to confront any aggression or attack on Palestinian civilians, whether by Israeli soldiers or settlers, which we all condemn." However, Arafat said, his police were too weak to carry out his orders in the wake of Israel's large-scale military operation aimed at crushing Palestinian terrorists in the West Bank.

Instant - 16:30CDT/00:30 Jerusalem time 07/08 May 2002

Rishon Letzion, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Emergency service sources are now telling EmergencyNet News that at least 15 people have been killed and at least forty (40) wounded in what is being called a "suicide bombing" by authorities. The explosion reportedly occurred at 23:03 local time, and was reportedly caused by a lone assailant. An unconfirmed media report says that the radical group Hamas is claiming responsibility for the blast. The alleged bomber, however, has not been identified. EmergencyNet News will bring you additional reports if/when more reliable information becomes available....

15:30CDT/23:30 Jerusalem time - 07 May 2002

Explosion Reported South of Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv, Israel (Emergencynet News) -- Early and unconfirmed are coming in with regard to an explosion in a "nightclub" in Rishon Letzion, which is located south of Tel Aviv. Emergency service reports say that there are "multiple injuries at the scene," and may be fatalities. Secondary reports would suggest that there has been some sort of ceiling/floor collapse at the scene of the explosion.

The cause and/or motive of the explosion was not officially determined in reports coming from the region, though speculation is centering on the possibility of some sort of "guerilla attack." Previous intelligence assessments, coming from the region, had warned of the possibility of new "high-intensity" attacks to be undertaken by militants in heavily populated places. Rescue operations are currently underway there...

12:30CDT - 04 May 2002

Two Most Wanted Terrorists May be Released Soon??

Jericho (EmergencyNet News) -- Rumors abound that two of most important people sent to jail in Jericho in exchange for Arafat's release from his Ramallah compound may be released soon by the Palestinian authority. According to officially unconfirmed reports from the region, Ahmed Saadat and Fuad Shobaki may soon be let go.

Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), is suspected of being heavily involved in the assassination of Isreali Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in October. Shobaki, a key Arafat aide, is suspected in being a key-player in the financing of a large shipment of illegal weapons that were intercepted on the "Karine A," earlier this year. Neither Saadat nor Shobaki has been charged in Palestinian courts, and that would appear to be the loop-hole that may be used in an attempt to justify their release.

Both Western and Israeli counter-terrorism analysts said that if the two are released that it will be a major setback in the world-wide "war on terrorism," and that "it is likely that we will hear from these two again...probably following some sort of major terrorist attack." 

02 May 2002

WEST BANK: Yassar Arafat emerged from his West Bank headquarters on Thursday in an angry and defiant mood that seemed to indicate he had not learned many lessons from his extended stay in his office. He reportedly made several very detrimental statements in Arabic about his former Israeli captors. In a deal brokered by U.S. diplomats, he flashed victory signs after Israeli troops withdrew from his compound and released the Palestinian leader from months of confinement. A hundred Palestinians also seemed not to get the larger message as they cheered and chanted "God is great" as Arafat, 72, appeared at the door to his office building, steadied by aides. Arafat raised his hand to make a V-sign and moved it to the rhythm of the chants before speeding away in a limousine for a tour of the damage in Ramallah, accompanied by security guards with raised Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Shortly after Arafat's release, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, a senior Hamas leader, warned the group would launch "new [terrorist] operations" in the coming days or weeks. Thirteen Palestinian groups also demanded the release of Popular Movement for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) chief Ahmad Saadat, detained with four of his men and another official, as part of the deal to free Arafat. The National and Islamic Forces coalition warned in a statement of possible "repercussions" if its call went unheeded.

JENIN, WEST BANK: In an article published yesterday in the Washington Times, Kadoura Mousa Kadoura, the director of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement for the northern West Bank, reportedly said that 56 Palestinians had been killed in a controversial two-week Israeli military assault on Jenin. Apparently, the new casualty figures are based on an investigation by four Palestinian-appointed investigators. The report is in stark contrast to loud, and repeated public claims by Palestinian spokesmen for the past weeks that "a massacre killing hundreds" had occurred in Jenin.

Like a January 3, 2002 incident involving a ship called the "Karine A," which was intercepted at sea and found to contain 50 tons of military arms reportedly destined for the Palestinian Authority -- and in which the Palestinians denied any involvement -- Palestinian statements about the Jenin incident would also increasingly appear to have involved deliberate misinformation or exaggeration.

In a related matter, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan reportedly said he would disband a U.N. team that was to have investigated Israel's assault on the Jenin camp amid Palestinian allegations of a massacre there. Annan said that he was canceling the Jenin inquiry after failing to secure Israeli cooperation. Announcing the decision, Mr. Annan said he regretted that abandoning the mission meant "the long shadow cast by recent events in the Jenin refugee camp will remain."

Instant -17:00CDT/01:00 Jerusalem time 01/02 May 2002

Heavy Firefight Reported at the Church of the Nativity

Bethlehem (EmergencyNet News) -- A report of explosions and a large amounts of gunfire is coming the Church of the Nativity at this hour. Video images from the region also suggest that at least part of the church, one of the Holiest sites in Christianity, may be ablaze at the time of this report. The number of injuries or deaths is not known. Exact details concerning the cause and effect of the firefight is presently also not known. EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in Bethlehem closely and will provide additional details as circumstances warrant...

Instant - 12:30CDT/20:30 Local  - 01 May 2002

WEST BANK: Yasser Arafat has reportedly agreed to transfer six Palestinians holed up in his compound, a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday, a measure expected to end the Israeli siege. The men are to be guarded by special U.S. and British jailers in the West Bank town of Jericho. The men are all suspected in previous terrorist attacks, including the assassination of an Israeli minister. In Tel Aviv, an Israeli security source said Wednesday he expected the Israeli army to lift the siege over Arafat's headquarters Wednesday night and to complete its withdrawal from Ramallah. Israel Radio quoted the source as saying he expected an agreement over the Church of Nativity stand-off in Bethlehem within two to three days.

29 Apr 2002

WEST BANK: In revealing first details of a deal that would end Yasser Arafat's confinement, a Palestinian official said on Monday that six Palestinians wanted by Israel will be moved in the coming days to a prison in the West Bank town of Jericho. The move from Arafat's besieged compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah to Jericho will take place within the next day or two. Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said as soon as the six have left Arafat's headquarters, the Palestinian leader will be free to move. In other news, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire, including five in a helicopter missile attack on a house. At another flashpoint, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, a Palestinian militiaman was killed by Israeli sniper fire today when he stepped into a courtyard.

21:00CDT/05:00 Jerusalem time 28/29 Apr 2002

Military Operation Underway in Hebron

WEST BANK (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and largely unconfirmed reports say that Isreali Defense Forces (IDF) have entered the city of Hebron from two direction with troops, tanks, and armored personnel carriers. They are said to be engaged in counter-terrorist sweeps at this hour. Few official details are available, but EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in the Mid-East continuously and will provide updates as circumstances warrant...

14 Apr 2002

WEST BANK: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell met on Sunday with Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters. In their delayed talks, Powell planned to press Arafat to take "effective action" to end Palestinian attacks against Israel. Tension rose around the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem today after Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian, while more than 200 armed Palestinians remained inside the Christian shrine.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: The radical Palestinian Islamic terrorist group HAMAS has promised to continue anti-Israeli suicide attacks as long as it occupies Palestinian territories. A terrorist spokesman said: "We cannot stop these operations as long as the occupation lasts. The continuation of these operations is a legitimate need ... to teach the occupation forces some lessons after their crimes in the West Bank."

Obviously deranged, the terrorist described Palestinian suicide bombers as "heroes." He added: "Nobody in the world accepts the American definition of terrorism." The promise to continued terrorist attacks came just one day after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat denounced terror attacks on civilians.

The HAMAS spokesman played down the importance of Sunday's meeting between Arafat and US Secretary of State Colin Powell. He said: "This meeting means nothing to us ... and raises not a glimmer of hope after the attitude of the United States," which he accused of bias towards Israel and its military offensive in the West Bank...

09:00CDT/16:00 Jerusalem time - 12 Apr 2002

At Least Six Dead, More than Fifty Wounded in Latest Attack

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Emergency service sources are telling our analysts that at least six people have been killed and another fifty (50) wounded in the latest atrocity targeting civilians in a market area of Jerusalem. Early and officially unconfirmed reports say that a female suicide bomber detonated a device attached to her body.  Another unconfirmed report says that the Al-Aqsa Brigades, closely associated with PA leader Yasser Arafat, has claimed responsibility for the blast. EmergencyNet News is monitoring events in Israel closely as U.S. Sec. of State Colin Powell, who is in Israel, works to try to find a solution to the on-going violence...

08:30CDT/15:30 Jerusalem time - 12 April 2002

Another Explosion in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service sources, another explosion has occurred in or near a bus in downtown Jerusalem near a shopping center. Multiple people are wounded and there may be fatalities. Emergency operations are underway at this time. Few official details are currently available...

INSTANT UPDATE - 08:00CDT - 10 Apr 2002

WEST BANK: A Palestinian suicide bomber killed at least eight Israelis, and wounded fifteen more, in an attack on a commuter bus from Haifa to Jerusalem on Wednesday, as Israeli forces hunting Palestinian militants moved deeper into two West Bank refugee camps and Lebanese guerrillas fired more than a dozen rockets into northern Israel. The new escalation came on day 13 of Israel's military offensive in the West Bank. Members of the Hamas militant group have claimed responsibility for the Haifa attack and threatened "continued resistance."

10 Apr 2002 - Midnight-CDT - 07:00 Jerusalem time

Bus Explosion Being Reported

Haifa, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and as yet preliminary reports are coming in in regard to a reported explosion of a bus east of the community of Haifa on Israel's northern coast.  There are believed to be fatalities and a large number of wounded. Few official reports concerning damage or injuries are currently available. Numerous fire, police, and EMS units are either enroute or on the scene. We will bring you further details as circumstances warrant...

09 Apr 2002

Explosion Reported in Jenin

WEST BANK: According to Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), at least 13 IDF troops have been killed, and seven others wounded, today in an explosion. All of the details are not currently available, but it would appear to be the greatest number of combat losses to Israeli troops during the most current "intifada." Preliminary reports say that IDF troops were killed as a boody-trapped building exploded during a counter-terrorist operation. Few other official details were released by Israeli officials.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Shooting Erupts In The West Bank

WEST BANK: Gunshots and explosions have been heard around Manger Square in Bethlehem, as Israel pressed ahead with its offensive against Palestinian militants. Palestinian fighters inside the Church of the Nativity said that Israeli forces had blown open the back door, leaving only a corridor separating them from the soldiers. Israeli military sources denied that the army had fired any shots or stormed the church.

The latest confrontation came as the Israeli army tightened its grip on the main population centers in the West Bank. On Wednesday night, more than 100 tanks and armored vehicles are reported to have rolled into Nablus, the West Bank's largest city, leaving only two major towns in Palestinian hands -- Hebron and Jericho. Four refugee camps in Nablus are surrounded and there have been fierce exchanges of fire.

Casualties are reported on both sides, but there are no clear details. Hundreds of Palestinians are reported to have been detained. In Bethlehem, more than 100 Palestinian police and militiamen are reported to be inside the Church of the Nativity -- believed by Christians to mark the birthplace of Christ.

As Israeli tanks that had encircled Nablus all day began to move in, witnesses reported hearing gunfire and explosions. The Palestinian intelligence chief in Nablus, Talal Diwikat, said heavy fighting was hindering the Israelis' progress to the city center and their helicopter gunships were firing on Nablus. Palestinians and police were moving through the streets and some main roads had been blocked by makeshift barricades.

As the tanks moved in, the Palestinian Authority issued a statement urging people to "close ranks in a long-term struggle against this occupation and to mobilize all its resources ... to confront this unjust and criminal war." It said that, with its actions over the past week, the Israeli government "will only separate by rivers of blood instead of building bridges of peace." Yasser Arafat has been confined to a small area of his Ramallah compound since Israeli troops smashed through the perimeter and occupied most of the buildings inside.

By Thursday, the seventh day of Israel's Operation Defensive Shield, the army has reoccupied the towns of Bethlehem, Ramallah, Beit Jala, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Nablus, Jenin and Salfit.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

West Bank Offensive Broadened By Israelis

WEST BANK: Israeli forces have extended their military operations in the West Bank, with columns of tanks sweeping into the towns of Jenin and Salfit, near Nablus. There was heavy shooting as at least 30 tanks headed for the center of Jenin early on Wednesday morning. A Palestinian woman was reported to have been killed after being shot.

In Bethlehem, more than 100 armed Palestinian police and militia are reported to have taken refuge in the Church of the Nativity -- built on the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born. They fled there after fighting running battles with Israeli forces, now deployed outside the church. The United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees says thousands of people throughout the West Bank have been trapped with dwindling supplies of food and water.

For a sixth day Israeli tanks pushed forward in operations the Israelis say aim to wipe out militant networks behind the recent wave of suicide bomb attacks. At least two suicide bombers have come from Jenin -- a stronghold of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. An army spokeswoman said: "The Israeli army has been waiting to go in to Jenin for some time and knew there would be some heavy resistance."

The Israeli army has already reoccupied Bethlehem and Ramallah, as well as the towns of Qalqilya and Tulkarm. Three Palestinian gunman and at least four non-combatants were said to have been killed by Israeli fire in Bethlehem.

Earlier, tanks and helicopter gunships blitzed the Ramallah headquarters of Palestinian preventative security chief Jibril Rajoub, setting buildings on fire and causing an unknown number of casualties among the 400 people said to be inside. The people holed up inside the security compound then surrendered in a US-brokered ceasefire. Israel accused Rajoub of sheltering dozens of fighters in his headquarters, but the security chief said the people inside the building were officials, women employees and three children. Israel media reported that the army's main target in the compound was the commander of Fatah in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti, who Israel accuses of involvement in recent militant attacks.

Israeli warplanes have attacked suspected Hezbollah guerrilla positions in southern Lebanon. The raids were in apparent retaliation for attacks on Israeli army positions in the disputed Shebaa area. Tension has been rising on the border recently, sparking concern that a second front could open up for Israel.

The raids came as Israel demanded that the United Nations take action to prevent new guerrilla attacks. A foreign ministry spokesman warned that Israel was effectively putting Syria and Lebanon - which back Hezbollah - on notice that it would act against border provocations. Lebanese officials said Israeli jets fired at least three rockets on targets south of the village of Kfar Chouba late on Tuesday after Hezbollah guerrillas fired mortar rounds and rockets at Israeli positions in the Shebaa area close to the Lebanese-Syrian border.

The clashes halted after about 80 minutes. Hezbollah said one of its fighters had been killed "while carrying out his task in the framework of holy war." Earlier on Tuesday there were also reports that a Hezbollah had fired a Katyusha rocket into northern Israel. However Hezbollah, Lebanese security services and UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon all said they knew nothing about the incident.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Battles Rage In Bethlehem

WEST BANK: Heavy shooting has reportedly been raging between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank towns of Bethlehem and Ramallah. Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire with Israeli tanks just a few hundred yards from Manger Square in the center of Bethlehem and Israeli snipers took up position in the nearby Deheisheh refugee camp. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he does not rule out the possibility of exiling Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who has been besieged in his Ramallah headquarters.

The Israeli army has reoccupied the West Bank towns of Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Tulkarm in an operation which it says is aimed at arresting Palestinian militants, following a series of deadly suicide bombings in Israel.

Palestinian sources said a Catholic priest was killed in Bethlehem and six nuns wounded. The circumstances of the incident were not immediately known.

In Ramallah, Israeli troops laid siege to the Palestinian security compound, which is headquarters to the Palestinian security chief in the West Bank, Jibril Rajoub. Rajoub said by telephone that 400 people inside the building were officials, women employees and three children. But Israel says there are about 200 fighters in the building, many of whom are on its most wanted list. A senior Israeli security official said they believed militants allegedly behind some of the most bloody attacks were now in Arafat's office or that of his local security chief.

Israel media reported that the army's main target in the compound was the commander of Fatah in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti, who has been named in the past as a possible successor to Arafat. The Israeli army says it has made 700 arrests since moving into Ramallah on Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his army's actions are aimed at eliminating once and for all what he calls a terrorist infrastructure.

Sharon told the European Union special envoy to the Middle East, Miguel Moratinos, that he did not rule out the possibility of exiling Arafat. Israel radio quoted Sharon as saying that he had decided to isolate the Palestinian leader on the advice of intelligence service officials, but he was now not sure if this was the right thing to do. And Sharon reportedly stated that if Arafat was allowed to leave the Palestinian territories, he would not be allowed to return.

With Ramallah under curfew, residents say they are running out of food. Medical supplies are also low in the hospitals and the morgues are full because it is impossible to transport bodies to burial grounds.

A Palestinian bomber blew himself up in Jerusalem, while eight other Palestinians and an Israeli were killed on Monday. There were angry demonstrations across the Arab world against Israel's offensive, while seven foreigners were injured when Israeli troops fired on demonstrators near Bethlehem.

The Jerusalem explosion -- the sixth Palestinian bomb blast in Israel and the West Bank in as many days -- occurred when a policeman flagged down a suspect car for a security check. Jerusalem police chief Micki Levy said: "The terrorist was wearing a belt or a bag filled with explosives to commit a suicide attack in the middle of Jerusalem." The policeman was seriously injured and another two people were slightly wounded. An anonymous caller told an international news agency the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an ultra- violent splinter group of Arafat's Fatah faction, was responsible.

Palestinian rage had earlier erupted in the West Bank town of Tulkarem, where seven people suspected of collaborating with Israel were executed by Palestinian gunmen. The incidents occurred hours before Israeli tanks, backed by helicopters, took complete control of Tulkarem. Israeli forces also tightened their grip Bethlehem and other West Bank towns as the army said it wanted to keep Arafat from communicating with members of his Fatah movement.

31 Mar 2002

Rcvd. Sun 3/31/2002 09:21CST

Four Wounded in Efrat Bomb Attack; Attack Targets Emergency Medical Personnel

(IsraelNN.com) A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in the Gush  Etzion community of Efrat a short time ago, targeting the new emergency medical facility staffed with emergency medical technicians and paramedics. A suicide bomber reportedly targeted the MDA Emergency Medical Servies (EMS) station in the community of Efrat. One paramedic in serious condition, three EMT volunteers are reported in light-to-moderate condition. Additional confirmed details will be published as they become available.  Source: http://www.israelnationalnews.com

06:30CST/14:30 Jerusalem time - 31 March 2002

Major Explosion Reported in Restaurant in Port City

Haifa, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service sources, at least ten people have been killed, and more than two dozen wounded in the most recent terrorist bombing in Israel. The blast took place at about 14:45pm local time, in the Matza Restaurant, near the Grand Canyon Shopping Center. Numerous fire, police and military units have been dispatched to the scene and rescue operations continue at the time of this report.

Early reports suggest that this latest disaster was again a suicide bombing. It was the fourth suicide bombing since Israel's week-long Passover holiday began last Wednesday and at least 34 people have died and hundreds wounded in the attacks, according to the Reuters news service. The latest report coming from the region says that both the Islamic Jihad and Hamas are claiming responsibility for the attack.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Shooting Erupts Near Arafat Offices

WEST BANK: Israeli troops have reportedly fought a fierce gun battle with the bodyguards of besieged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in rooms adjacent to his West Bank office. A Palestinian television reporter on the scene in Ramallah said a number of Arafat's bodyguards had been wounded. Reports said there was heavy machine-gun fire and a loud explosion, but the shooting later subsided.

Israeli troops are reported to have entered the Ramallah governor's office next to Arafat's office. The Israeli army accused Arafat's bodyguards of having opened fire from the dining room on the ground floor, then from one of Arafat's rooms. But a Palestinian official said Israeli soldiers had broken down the dining room door, triggering the gun battle.

The compound is surrounded by tanks, and supplies of water and electricity were for a time cut off. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres insisted that the Israeli operation was not directed at Arafat himself.

Jordan summoned the Israeli ambassador to its foreign ministry on Sunday to protest strongly over Israel's assault. The Palestinian leader earlier issued a defiant statement, telling the U.S. Fox television network that he would never surrender. Arafat said in a telephone interview: "They (the

Israelis) have declared it many times: 'We want Arafat dead or a prisoner, or to kick him outside of Palestine.' And I have told them I have one choice: to be one of the Palestinian martyrs."

Emergency medical personnel were reported to be negotiating with Israeli troops over the removal of the casualties. Elsewhere in Ramallah, the Palestinians reported mass arrests, as the Israelis used loudspeakers to summon all males between 16 and 50 for questioning.

Saturday saw a Palestinian suicide bomber blow himself up in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 29 people. The Tel Aviv suicide attacker struck at a coffee shop in an area packed with young people at the end of the Jewish sabbath. The attack was claimed by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militant faction linked to Arafat's Fatah organization. The faction said that two other men fatally dead at the village of Baka al-Garbiyeh on the Israeli border were attempting a suicide mission into Israel.

POTUS has spoken of his deep concern at the loss of innocent lives. He again said Arafat could do more to end the violence, but also urged the Israelis to make sure there was still a path to peace.

Israeli border police lost one of their own officers in the shooting that erupted after they stopped the two men's car. The Israeli bullets reportedly detonated an explosives belt worn by one of the two which blew him up along with the vehicle.

Tel Aviv, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and preliminary reports are saying that an explosion has occurred in a cafe in Tel Aviv within the past few minutes. The blast reportedly happened near the intersection of Allenby and King George Streets. Emergency service sources are saying that a "mass casualty event" has been declared and that  there are wounded and may be fatalities at the scene. Twenty-nine (29) people are thought to have been wounded, according to Emergency Medical Service sources. EmergencyNet News will bring you further details as they become available.

In Ramallah, within the past five minutes, Palestinian spokesman Saeb Erakat issued a statement alleging that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are "about to storm Palestinian Chairman Arafat's offices." That report can not be independently verified and was denied by a CNN reporter Michael Holmes, who is on the scene at Arafat's compound.  Israeli diplomatic sources have repeatedly said that they do not intend to harm Mr. Arafat. Mr. Erakat also complained that Mr. Arafat's electricity had been cut off, and that he wasn't receiving supplies of food or water. Mr. Erakat also alleged that Mr. Arafat was now "out of contact" with the outside world.  Mr. Arafat continues to refuse to condemn terrorism and groups like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and the Al-Asqa brigade, who have been carrying out almost daily bombings. 

In other developments, Hezbollah guerrillas reportedly attacked seven Israeli checkpoints today in the Shebaa Farms area, near the border between Lebanon, Israel and the militarily strategic Golan Heights. Israeli warplanes reportedly responded to the incursion and fired on Hezbollah forces. Sporadic gunfire is also being reported in that area. Few other official details are available concerning a new Hezbollah offensive.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Arafat's HQ Under Siege By Israeli Troops

WEST BANK: The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Saturday calling on Israel to withdraw from Ramallah and other West Bank cities and urging both sides to move immediately towards a ceasefire. Israeli forces are keeping the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, pinned down without electricity or water inside his ruined West Bank headquarters. Arafat is confined to one floor of his office building in the Ramallah compound, surrounded by Israeli troops who occupied seven other buildings after smashing their way in with tanks on Friday.

One of Arafat's aides said the Palestinian leader was also running out of food, amid continuing sporadic Israeli tank fire. Street battles raged in Ramallah all night, with exchanges of heavy machine-gun fire between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli forces, which have been deployed across the city. In the center of Ramallah, Palestinian gunmen took refuge in a shopping center, but came out with their hands up early on Saturday after fierce clashes with Israeli troops.

Witnesses said a building housing a Palestinian information office was on fire. Israeli troops are reported to be moving from house to house in the city, rounding up suspects. Most of the city is without power and it has been declared a closed military zone.

Israel has warned that the military offensive is just the beginning of a long campaign against Palestinian militants and has called up reservists. It says its troops have arrested about 60 Palestinians inside the Ramallah compound. At least five Palestinians -- including one of Arafat's bodyguards -- were killed and 30 wounded. Two Israeli soldiers have also been killed in the country's biggest offensive against the Palestinian leader since the uprising began 18 months ago.

Early on Saturday, Israeli tanks also went into the Palestinian area of Beit Jala, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Israel's offensive followed a suicide bomb attack in Netanya on Wednesday which killed 21 people at a Passover meal. Another suicide bomber -- a 16-year-old Palestinian girl -- struck in a Jewish neighborhood of West Jerusalem on Friday, killing herself, two other people and injuring more than 20.

The Israeli Government has declared Arafat an enemy, accusing him of heading a large terrorist network. But US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had given him assurances that Israel would not seek to kill or capture Arafat.

Guerrillas of Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah on Saturday bombarded Israeli army positions in a disputed area on the Lebanese-Israeli border. The Hezbollah shelling was in response to Israeli large-scale attacks against Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah and other cities in the Palestinian territories. The guerrillas fired rockets and mortars on Israeli posts in the Shabaa farms and the hills of Kfar Chouba. They also engaged in gunfire with Israeli soldiers. There was no immediate word on casualties or damage. Hezbollah has pledged to aid the Palestinians in their battle against Israeli occupying forces.

ERRI's Clark Staten, who has been monitoring and providing analysis on the "Intifada" since it's inception in 2000, said, "The beginning of a resolution to this crisis is clear...Mr. Arafat must repudiate terrorism as a political tool and issue a world-wide public statement in both Arabic and English that tells all Palestinian forces to immediately and unequivocally discontinue all 'martyrdom' or other terrorist operations."

"This statement must be clear and unambiguous...and must ensure that there is no doubt that Palestinian-related terrorism should stop now," Staten added. "Mr. Arafat must then put all known Palestinian insurgents in jail and leave them there....in my view, little else will demonstrate Arafat's real conviction

to bring the current crisis to an end," Staten concluded. Once that is achieved, other appropriate steps can be taken by U.S. envoy Zinni and others in an attempt to negotiate a more comprehensive peace agreement, ERRI analysts said.

29 Mar 2002

ISRAEL: Police and rescue workers said a female suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance to a Jerusalem supermarket Friday afternoon, killing herself and injuring dozens. There were unconfirmed reports that at least one person was killed in addition to the bomber. The blast occurred at a strip mall in Kiryat Yovel, a working class Jewish neighbor- hood in southeastern part of the city. Palestinian militants have carried out dozens of bomb attacks during the 18 months of Mideast fighting. There have been about 50 suicide bombings during the Palestinian uprising, and Friday's attack was the second such attack carried out by a woman.

WEST BANK: Israel declared Yasser Arafat an enemy and sent tanks and troops into his West Bank compound on Friday, where they battled his security forces as part of a major military operation in response to Palestinian terror attacks. The unprecedented raid came as Israel's Cabinet approved an extended, large-scale military operation and agreed to call up reserves. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel had sought a cease-fire in good faith, "but all Israel got in return was terrorism, terrorism and more terrorism."

Instant   - 23:30CST - 07:30 Jerusalem time - 28/29 Mar 2002

Military Operation Underway in Ramallah

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Israeli Prime Minister Sharon is giving a policy address at the time of this report. Sharon is announcing that military action is presently being taken to  "destroy terrorist infrastructure" and "isolate Chairman Arafat."

Israeli troops are reportedly massing near Ramallah, and the Associated Press (AP) says that Arafat's office was been shelled by tanks within the past few minutes.  The compound is reportedly on fire. The tactical situation on the ground is unclear at this time, but the strategic situation would suggest that a large assault may be getting underway. Israeli military reservists have been recalled to duty and several firefights have been reported between Palestinian police and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Other troops movements have been noted as well in other nearby towns. One could assume that today's assault is in retaliation for the Passover bombing in Netanya.

Palestinians have been waging an "intifada" against Israelis since September of 2000. At least 1,107 Palestinians and 381 Israelis have been killed in continual retaliatory violence since the revolt began.  21 Israeli's were killed and more than 150 wounded yesterday in a suicide attack on a hotel in Netanya.  According to the Washington Post, Yasser Arafat had reportedly issued a last minute appeal for an immediate cease-fire on Thursday night as Israeli tanks and armored vehicles surrounded the Palestinian leader's West Bank headquarters in the city of Ramallah.

 EmergencyNet News is monitoring current events in the Mid-East closely and will bring you updates as circumstances warrant...

U.S. State Department Adds Three Groups to Foreign Terrorist List

WASHINGTON: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has added three Middle Eastern terrorist groups to the official "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" list, including the Palestinian militia group al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The other groups added to the list are Asbat al-Ansar and the Salafist Group for Call and Combat.

U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "The Salafist Group for Call and Combat is an Algerian armed group dedicated to the overthrow of the Algerian government and the imposition of fundamentalist Muslim theocracy. It's an offshoot of the Groupe Islamique Armee -- the GIA, or Armed Islamic Group, which has conducted a terrorist campaign in Algeria for over a decade and which was already on our terrorist list."

Boucher said the other group, the Asbat al-Ansar, is a Sunni Muslim terrorist organization largely based in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and has been linked to al-Qaida. He said: "This group is banned in Lebanon. The government of Lebanon has shared with us valuable information about the organization."

The addition of these three brings to 33 the number of groups the State Department identifies as foreign terrorist organizations. Federal law requires that the State Department designate foreign terrorist organizations every two years, though the secretary of state has the latitude to add or remove organizations at any time. A 1996 federal law prohibits U.S. citizens from providing terrorist organizations with any financial or other assistance, and banks and other U.S. financial institutions must freeze their assets. In addition, their members are ineligible for U.S. visas.

ISRAEL: Israel said on Thursday it would exercise its right to "self defense" following a Palestinian suicide bombing in a hotel banquet hall. The blast killed 20 diners and wounded more than 130 during a Passover meal ushering in the weeklong Jewish holiday. It was one of the deadliest Palestinian attacks in the current round of fighting. Several Cabinet ministers called for massive retaliation, including ousting Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, toppling his government and reoccupying large parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, an Arab summit that was reportedly trying to assist in peace efforts suffered from the absence of several key regional leaders and covert in-fighting between "hard-liners" and those who are actually pursuing an equitable and peaceful settlement.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Twenty Killed In Another Palestinian Suicide Bombing

ISRAEL: In yet another suicide bombing at a hotel in the northern resort town of Netanya, at least 19 Israelis were killed on Wednesday. At least another 130 people were injured, 26 seriously, after the blast, which happened at the Park Hotel in the center of the town. The Palestinian leadership condemned the attack and promised to take "action against any Palestinian group responsible for this operation."

The Islamic militant group HAMAS has claimed responsibility for the bombing, which occurred just after sunset on Wednesday as Israelis started celebrating the week-long Passover holiday. The attack came as Arab leaders held a summit in Beirut to endorse a Saudi Arabian peace initiative for the Middle East. Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with army commanders early Thursday to weigh a possible Israeli response.

Israeli authorities blamed the attack on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. An Israeli government spokesman said: "Arafat is to blame for the violence that emanates from the territories under his control. It is clear the Palestinians are bent on using everything at their disposal for killing and maiming as many Israelis as possible anywhere, anytime." According to a statement from a Palestinian official, Yasser Arafat has ordered the arrest of four key militants from the Islamic groups HAMAS and Islamic Jihad -- as well as suspects from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militia group with links to Arafat's Fatah movement.

Analysts in Jerusalem say the bomb attack will deal a severe blow to US efforts to bring Israel and the Palestinian Authority together for peace talks. The bomber has been identified as one Abdelbasset Odeh, a 25-year- old HAMAS member from the West Bank town of Tulkarem. He made his way past an armed guard at the hotel entrance who did not consider him suspicious. Before the guests had a chance to sit down, he walked into the dining room and detonated the bomb.

16:00CST/Midnight Jerusalem time - 27 Mar 2002

Toll on Netanya Bombing

At least 19 Israelis were killed and more than 100 wounded in today's attack in Netanya. The Islamic militant group Hamas reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast. Hamas identified the bomber as Abdel Baset Odeh, 25, from the West Bank town of Tulkarem. Israeli officials are said to be meeting to determine what their response to this latest attack should be. President George W. Bush is quoted by the Associated Press as saying, "this callous, this cold-blooded killing, it must stop."

12:45CST/20:45CST Jerusalem time - 27 Mar 2002

Multiple Fatalities Being Reported at Hotel Bombing

Netanya, Israel (Emergencynet News) -- At least ten people are dead and fifty others have been wounded in a reported "suicide attack" in the hotel lobby of the Park Hotel in Netanya, Israel.  Emergency Medical Services (EMS) sources said that a number of people were critically wounded and that the death toll may continue to rise. The blast came as people were celebrating a dinner for the beginning of the Jewish Passover holiday.  EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details as they become available... 

11:45CST - 19:45 Jerusalem time - 27 Mar 2002

Explosion Reported At Hotel in Netanya; Terror Attack At Start of Religious Holiday?

Netanya, Israel (Emergencynet News) -- Early and as yet preliminary reports are saying that an explosion is being reported in lobby of the Park Hotel in Netanya, in northern Israel. Numerous wounded are being reported by emergency service sources, though few official details are currently available. One source said that there are probably "multiple fatalities," at the scene. Numerous military and emergency agencies are either enroute or on the scene of the disaster. 

25 Mar 2002

WASHINGTON: U.S.-supervised truce talks between Israel and the Palestinians are going ahead despite few signs of progress and much criticism of Yasser Arafat. Violence raged on Sunday even with the cease-fire effort. The U.S. hopes that the bloodshed can be stopped and that Arafat can and should control militant groups who have made it clear they have no intention of halting their killing of Israeli civilians until, at least, Israel yields the West Bank and Gaza. Questions continue to be asked as to why Arafat has not issued a public statement through the Palestinian press, and in Arabic, that calls for a cessation of violence. Allegations continue that Mr. Arafat issues a seemingly conciliatory statements in English and then calls for "a continued Jihad" in Arabic.

22 March 2002

ISRAEL: Israeli and Palestinian officials said security meetings aimed at a cease-fire to end 18 months of Palestinian-Israeli violence were set to resume on Friday despite suicide bombings that threatened to scuttle the talks. After a suicide attack in downtown Jerusalem on Thursday, Israel called off a meeting to discuss truce arrangements. But officials from both sides said on Friday that the meeting was back on, and would be held this afternoon in Herzliya, outside Tel Aviv, probably at the home of the U.S. ambassador, Daniel Kurtzer. Another suicide bombing was reported today near Jenin, with two people reported wounded. Regardless, the cease-fire talks went on.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Named To US List Of Terrorist Organizations

WASHINGTON, DC: The US State Department on Thursday added the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade to its list of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The measure against the group, a radical offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah PLO faction, becomes effective on 27 March. The US took the measure just hours after the group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Israel. The move bars members of the group from obtaining US visas and prohibits any fund-raising in the United States.

21 Mar 2002

INSTANT - 10:00CST/18:00 Jerusalem time - 21 Mar 2002

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service sources, at least three people have been killed and forty people wounded in a major suicide bombing near the intersection of King George and Jaffa streets in central Jerusalem. Preliminary indications would suggest that today's anti-personnel bomb contained nuts, bolts, and other metal pieces in order to maximize the death and injury toll of the blast.  An unofficial report says that the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade has claimed responsibility for the blast.

This bombing comes at a critical time, as retired General and U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni is working very hard to broker some sort of cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians. It is the second major bombing in the past 48 hours (see report below (20 Mar) and on our continuing Intifada page). We'll bring you additional details as they become available...

*****

09:00CST - 17:00 Jerusalem time - 21 Mar 2002

Explosion Reported in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) -- Early and preliminary reports say that another suicide bombing has taken place in the past hour in central Jerusalem. There are multiple wounded and may be fatalities, according to emergency service sources. Few official details are currently available and rescue operations reportedly continue at the time of this report.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Eight Killed As Blast Hits Israeli Bus

ISRAEL: A suspected suicide bomber blew up a bus in northern Israel on Wednesday morning killing at least seven people and himself. Police said most of the passengers on the bus were Israeli Arabs on their way to work. The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad said it was behind the blast.

The Israeli government. complained that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had failed to give clear orders to halt such attacks. The Palestinian leadership was swift to condemn the bombing, however, and said all attacks on civilians inside Israel must stop. Police said about 30 people were injured in the blast, some of them seriously.

The incident happened shortly after 0700 hours local time (0500 GMT), at the start of the rush hour, near the large Israeli Arab town of Umm el-Fahem. The bus was on its way from Tel Aviv to Nazareth when the suspected bomber got on at a stop near an Arab village. The suicide bomber blew himself up at the back of the bus, which was full.

Islamic Jihad said one of its militants carried out the explosion, naming him as Ra'fat Abu Dyak, from the West Bank town of Jenin. It said the attack was in response for the killing of its leaders by Israeli forces.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Despite moves on both sides to create the conditions for a ceasefire, intermittent violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip left one Israeli and three Palestinians dead. Just hours after the Israeli army began pulling out of the remaining Palestinian areas it was occupying, an Israeli officer was fatally shot and three other soldiers wounded by two Palestinian militants in an attack in the Jordan Valley. The two Palestinians were then shot and killed by Israeli troops.

Few details were known about the incident which occurred near the village of Tubas, to the north east of Nablus. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, armed wing of the radical HAMAS terrorist group, said the two Palestinians were members of their organization. In another incident during the night, a 50-year-old Palestinian was fatally shot by Israeli gunfire near Deir al-Balah in the southern Gaza Strip. The man was killed when an Israeli tank opened heavy machine-gun fire on him.

The latest deaths bring to 1,533 the number of people killed since the start of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000, of which 1,203 are Palestinian and 345 Israeli. The violence came just hours after Israeli troops began a withdrawal from the self-rule Palestinian areas they had been occupying, pulling out from the Bethlehem area of the West Bank and the north of the Gaza Strip.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: New Palestinian attacks on Israel and a move by Israeli tanks back into the West Bank town of Bethlehem broke a two-day lull in violence in the Middle East. Three Palestinians and one Israeli woman were killed in the latest spurt of bloodshed. A Palestinian man also died Sunday afternoon in a mysterious blast just outside Jerusalem, which Israeli police labelled "a working accident," implying a Palestinian militant had been trying to smuggle a bomb into Jerusalem.

An Israeli woman was killed and 15 other people wounded, two of them seriously, when a Palestinian gunmen opened fire in the town of Kfar Saba before he was shot and killed by police. Minutes later, a Palestinian blew himself up near a Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem. Some passengers in a nearby mini-bus were slightly injured by shrapnel from the blast, which was claimed by the radical Islamic Jihad terror group.

Meanwhile, Israeli tanks rolled back into the center of Bethlehem where clashes between Israeli soldiers and armed Palestinians erupted. Palestinian security sources said a 22-year-old member of the radical Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah group, was killed during the Israeli army incursion. They said five tanks rolled into the heart of Bethlehem, six moved into the nearby village of Beit Jala and four more into Ad-Doha, a village facing the refugee camp of Deheishe.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Almost 40 people were killed as the Israeli army launched its biggest operation in years and suspected Palestinian gunmen hit back in northern Israel. The Israeli army occupied most of the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority's capital, killing five Palestinians. The invasion came on the heels of an overnight battle Tuesday-Wednesday in a Gaza Strip refugee camp that left 17 Palestinians dead. Another eight Palestinians were killed in scattered violence around the West Bank and Gaza.

And as the uprising's worst streak of violence continued, suspected Palestinian gunmen rained bullets and grenades at traffic on a road near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, killing six Israelis before being fatally shot by police. The army said it unearthed no trace of infiltration from across the border in Lebanon after the attack in which three women and two other Israeli civilians were killed as well as a soldier.

Late Tuesday, three more Israelis, including a woman, were shot and wounded by Palestinian gunfire in the north of the country on the edge of the West Bank. In Ramallah, where around Israeli 100 tanks rumbled into the city at dawn Tuesday, clashes were taking places in a number of districts, including the Al-Amari refugee camp and the suburb of El-Bireh. Tanks were on virtually every street corner, even some 100 yards from the offices of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Tuesday, March 12, 2002-Vol. 8, NO.  071

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

29 Palestinians Killed In Latest Israeli Offensive

WEST BANK: In fierce assaults that included the single biggest tank operation in 17 months of conflict, Israeli forces killed 29 Palestinians on Tuesday. Witnesses said 150 tanks rolled into Ramallah, the West Bank headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and nearby refugee camps, in the largest show of force since a Palestinian uprising erupted in September 2000. The Israelis killed at least 25 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank. Gunmen killed an Israeli security man.

The army said it campaign was to root out militants. In Ramallah's main square, angry Palestinians hung up the corpse of an alleged collaborator with the Israelis. The young man, blood staining his face and bare chest, dangled upside down by his feet from a metal pylon.

The Israeli army said the latest offensive, by land, sea and air, was aimed at smashing "bases of terror" used by Palestinian gunmen and bombers to mount attacks on Israelis. A senior army officer said: "We intend to form a wall -- figuratively speaking -- between Ramallah, a capital of terrorist activity, and Jerusalem. Most of those who carried out the recent terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and its environs came from Ramallah." Ramallah is in the West Bank, just north of Jerusalem.

On Monday, Israel said it would lift a blockade on Arafat's movements, having confined him to Ramallah for three months. It said he still required Israeli permission to travel abroad. One journey could be to an Arab League summit in Beirut at the end of the month, where a Saudi peace proposal is expected to be discussed.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 25 Palestinians were killed, four of them in an attempted raid on a Jewish settlement and three in a missile strike on a metal-working factory. Tanks and troops backed by helicopter gunships battled into Jabalya refugee camp near Gaza City late Monday, sparking fighting that left hospitals barely able to handle the wounded. Hospital sources said 17 people were killed, at least eight of them gunmen, and 50 were injured in the densely populated camp of about 90,000 people before the tanks withdrew four hours later.

Witnesses said the soldiers blew up three foundries and two adjacent homes. An Israeli military source said at least one of the foundries had been used by the HAMAS militant group to make short-range Qassam rockets. In the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli navy struck a Palestinian naval headquarters and other security targets near the town of Deir al-Balah. Palestinian security sources said one man was killed and six others were hurt by rockets fired by gunboats.

Hospital officials said Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in the town of El-Bireh adjacent to Ramallah. Two armed Palestinians were killed in fighting with troops near the al-Ama'ri refugee camp on the outskirts of Ramallah. Shooting erupted as Israeli troops entered the edges of the al-Ama'ri refugee camp.

The Palestinian leadership has urged residents to resist the army's attempts to round up men and interrogate them to seek out militants. One Israeli also was killed and a second wounded when a gunman opened fire near Kiryat Sefer just inside the West Bank.

Authorities said that at least three people were wounded Tuesday when shots were fired at an Israeli bus carrying civilians about a mile from the Israeli-Lebanese border. The army said the bus was hit by gunfire and grenades. The attack occurred near the small Israeli town of Shlomi. Radio reports said the shots were fired from a passing car and that security forces continued to exchange fire with the assailant. The ambulance service told Israeli Radio that two wounded victims were being treated, one seriously injured and one lightly.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Mideast Violence Leaves Four More Dead

WEST BANK: Palestinian medical sources said Israeli troops killed four Palestinians on Monday during Israeli army raids on Qalqilya and Hebron in the West Bank and in central Gaza Strip. Palestinians have recently increased attacks and attempted attacks on Israeli halls and restaurants. At the same time, Israel has engaged in a major campaign against Palestinian militants, searching the refugee camps and other places for militants, weapons and facilities for the making of arms, ammunition and Qassam-2 rockets.

Since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed and the Israeli death toll has reached about 340. In predawn Monday, sources said, Israeli gunfire killed two Palestinians and injured four in Qalqilya. A 20-year-old Palestinian was shot to death in central Gaza Strip.

Medical sources said a Palestinian, riding in a car, was injured by Israeli tank shellfire, and he later died from his wounds. In Qalqilya, Israeli troops seized several buildings in the town. During the incursion into the town, Palestinians said Apache helicopters fired on the Force 17 headquarter, damaging the building and cutting off electricity in the town.

On Sunday night, a Palestinian militant fired into a hall full of party- goers south of Tel Aviv, injuring a 12-year-old boy. The attacker's gun jammed after he fired several bursts, and he ran away. But police arrested him and were searching for possible associates.

Israel Radio said the attacker came from the West Bank town of Hebron and that police found an unexploded hand grenade in the house to which the suspect had fled. The attacker hit a bar mitzvah celebration in an orthodox area of Ashdod.

In other developments on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon indicated that he might allow Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to leave Ramallah. Arafat has been prevented from free movement outside that West Bank town due to Israeli military force since 13 December.

Palestinians observed a general strike in the Palestinian Autonomous Areas on Sunday, marking the deaths of more than 42 Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli army in weekend violence. Israeli troops, however, continued to operate in the Bethlehem-area refugee camps of Dheisheh and Aida, conducting house-to-house searches for militants.

00:24 Israeli time - 10 Mar 2002

11 Dead & Over 55 Wounded in Jerusalem Attack

(IsraelNN.com) 11 persons have been killed and over 55 wounded in the suicide bombing attack in Jerusalem’s Moment Café at the intersection of Aza Street and Ben-Maimon Boulevard in the Rechavia neighborhood, about a block away from the Kings Hotel and less than 100 meters (yards) from the Prime Minister’s residence. The victims of the attack were taken to Jerusalem area hospitals where several are undergoing emergency surgery.

22:27 Israeli Time - 09 Mar 2002

1 Fatality in Netanya Terror Attack – Over 40 wounded

(IsraelNN.com) One person has died of injuries sustained in the Netanya shooting attack that took place at about 8:30pm. Over 40 others were wounded, some seriously.

Terrorists entered the Jeremy Hotel on Gad Machnes Street in Netanya, near Independence Square, threw at least one grenade and opened fire in all directions with automatic weapons. At least one of the terrorists was dressed in a police uniform.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Saturday, March 9, 2002-Vol. 8 - 068

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Bloodiest Day In Palestinian Uprising

ISRAEL: After the worst day of bloodshed in 17 months of violence, Israel has kept up its attacks on Palestinian areas, launching new helicopter raids. Despite the continuing clashes, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said he will hold talks with the Palestinians in an effort to achieve a ceasefire -- apparently dropping his insistence on seven days of calm. Palestinian officials dismissed Sharon's talks offer.

Helicopter gunships fired rockets at Palestinian security buildings in Gaza City -- which have been hit repeatedly before. Further south, Israeli troops destroyed buildings in the town of Khan Yunis, while in the West Bank helicopters raided the main Palestinian Authority building in the town of Nablus. Palestinian security officials say they have arrested Majdi Rimawi, the fifth and final suspect wanted by Israel in connection with the October assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Nearly 40 Palestinians died in violence on Friday -- the worst single day in 17 months of the Palestinian uprising. Five Israelis were killed when a Palestinian gunman opened fire in the Jewish settlement of Atzmona in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli soldier was also killed in the West Bank.

Israeli forces rounded up hundreds of men in the West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarm on Friday. The Israeli army says the men, who include 60 Palestinian security officials, have now been transported to Israel for interrogation.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Blood Continues To Flow In The Middle East

GAZA STRIP: In one of the worst spates of violence since the Palestinian uprising began, at least 26 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed. Twenty Palestinians, including a top security commander, were killed in an Israeli attack on a village in Gaza shortly after a Palestinian gunman went on the rampage at a nearby Jewish settlement. Fierce fighting also erupted on the West Bank as Israeli troops and tanks poured into Palestinian-ruled areas.

In Gaza, Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian gunmen after troops moved into the village of Khozza before dawn on Friday. Israel said the village was "a center of activity of several terror organizations." The Palestinian deputy commander of public security, Major General Ahmed Mefraj, was killed by Israeli tank and machine-gun fire as he traveled to the area by jeep.

At least 19 other Palestinians lost their lives in clashes with troops in Khozza. The Israeli forces later withdrew from the village. Later, Israeli helicopters fired missiles at General Mefraj's headquarters in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. There were no immediate reports of casualties. In an earlier attack in Gaza, four Palestinians were killed as Israeli gunboats hit a Palestinian police base north of Gaza City.

As the Israeli offensive entered its fourth day, tanks and troops moved into Bethlehem and surrounding areas in the West Bank. Two Palestinians were killed, Palestinian sources reported, after Israeli helicopters fired missiles at the Aida refugee camp. Israel said it was carrying out house- to-house searches for suspected Palestinian militants. Witnesses said Israeli forces had taken up positions on three sides of Bethlehem by Friday morning.

Hours earlier, Israel was stunned after a Palestinian attacker penetrated the heavily guarded Jewish settlement of Atzmona in the Gaza Strip. The gunman killed five Israeli students after throwing grenades and shooting his way through a seminary for 20 minutes, before he was shot down by Israeli soldiers. The Israeli army commander in Gaza, Brigadier General Israel Ziv said: "It was horrible, simply horrible. It shows who we're dealing with, people without any morals, any values, a cruel enemy." The Palestinian militant group HAMAS said one of its members carried out the attack.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Amid growing international concern that violence was spinning out of control, the Israeli army continued to pound the Palestinians with new air and ground attacks. One Palestinian was killed and three others injured by a rocket from a helicopter gunship as Israeli tanks rolled in force into the Palestinian-controlled territory of Tulkarem in the northwest of the West Bank overnight. Palestinian security sources said Thursday that around 50 tanks and armored vehicles had entered the town, with some of the units surrounding a refugee camp where the Palestinian was killed.

Israeli F-16 fighter jets then attacked the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Force 17 personal guard in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Palestinian security sources said at least two missiles had hit the building, which had already been attacked the evening before. There was no immediate information on casualties.

The unrelenting attacks bode for a continuing spiral of retaliatory violence in the Middle East, after a day of bloodshed on Wednesday when 11 Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed. Late on Wednesday Israeli helicopter gunships had rocketed a building next door to the Ramallah offices of Arafat as he was meeting EU Middle East envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos. Nearly 100 people have been killed in the past week alone and almost 1,400 since the Palestinian uprising broke out in September 2000.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: Amid an intensified Israeli military offensive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, at least seven Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers have been killed. Israeli forces carried out one of the most extensive assaults on Gaza since the current uprising began, after a rocket fired by Palestinians hit an Israeli town for the first time. Israeli tanks and troops rolled into four different areas of Gaza on Wednesday morning, while naval gunships and F-16 fighter jets pounded Palestinian targets.

Three Palestinians, including a 40-year-old woman, were killed when up to 30 tanks moved into the southern village of Abassan. Palestinian security sources said the victims were relatives of a fugitive leader of the military wing of the radical Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). The army said it destroyed three homes belonging to Palestinian militants in Abassan and arrested 27 suspects before troops withdrew from the area.

Four Palestinian naval policemen died after coming under fire from Israeli gunboats in the northern Gaza Strip. And the body of a Palestinian man was found in nearby Sudaniya following Israeli shelling in the area, according to Palestinian hospital sources, but it was unclear how he died. Israel said one of its soldiers was killed in fighting near the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, while another lost his life after coming under attack by Palestinian militants on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

TODAY'S CENTRAL FOCUS:

Fresh Suicide Attacks Hit Israel

ISRAEL: After two suicide attacks and a drive-by shooting killed five Israelis, the Israeli government launched fresh raids on Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in the northern Israeli town of Afula on Tuesday, killing himself and an Israeli. Up to 17 people were wounded.

The attack came shortly after a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a restaurant in Tel Aviv, killing three people and wounding about 25 others. The gunman, armed with an M-16 assault rifle, grenades and a knife, was then shot and killed by police. In the West Bank, an Israeli woman was killed in a drive-by shooting south of Jerusalem.

In further violence on Tuesday:

-- Israeli helicopter gunships fired rockets at a Palestinian security building in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

-- An explosion in Gaza City injured 15 Palestinians.

-- A bomb exploded at a high school in an Arab district of east Jerusalem, wounding a Palestinian teacher and several pupils. Israeli police blamed the attack on Jewish extremists

-- Israeli troops launched raids in the West Bank town of Hebron and Dura, a nearby Palestinian-controlled town. A Palestinian police officer was killed and 10 others wounded in exchanges of fire

-- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has pledged to keep hitting back against attacks, adding that unless the Palestinian side "feel they have been defeated, it will be impossible to return to the negotiating table."

Palestinian security officials said a mysterious explosion went off on Tuesday in a Gaza City building that also houses a mosque, and at least 15 people were wounded, including three who were in serious condition. The explosion went off at about 1115 hours local time.

04 Feb 2002

Explosion Kills Four On West Bank; Arafat Condemns Terrorism

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: At least four Palestinians were killed and one seriously wounded in an explosion in a car in the southern Gaza Strip. It is not yet clear if an Israeli missile or a bomb inside the vehicle caused the blast, which happened near Gaza's southern border with Egypt. Witnesses said the dead men's remains were scattered around the burnt-out vehicle, and that Kalashnikov assault rifles could be seen on the road. Among the dead were militants known to be wanted by Israel. Palestinian officials say the most likely explanation is a tank shell. The injured man has been taken to Nasser Hospital in the nearby town of Khan Yunis. Local sources in Gaza said they had seen a drone plane, used by Israeli surveillance forces, in the sky at the time of the incident.

In a New York Times article published on Sunday, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat condemned Palestinian militant groups who attacked Israeli civilians as "terrorist organizations." He also said that such groups did not legitimately represent the Palestinian people.

Making clear that U.S. contacts with the Palestinian Authority would continue, U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell welcomed Yasser Arafat's condemnation of terrorism but said the Palestinian leader had to act to curb attacks against Israelis. "I'm pleased that he condemns terrorism and that he said it again today -- that's good," Powell said of Arafat's remarks, published in the New York Times. "But now what we need is action against terrorists."

On the CBS program "Face the Nation," Powell said he would meet with members of Arafat's Palestinian Authority to discuss efforts to get a cease-fire and resume peace talks. He was to begin the round of meetings this afternoon at the State Department with Ahmed Korei, the speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Powell lauded Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's face-to-face talks with the Palestinian leadership last week, which included meetings with Korei, Arafat's top deputy, Mahmoud Abbas, and Mohammed Rashid, an economic adviser -- all authorized by Arafat.

In New York, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Arafat's statements condemning terrorist acts and expressing a willingness to talk peace with any Israeli leader would provide "a good beginning." Earlier, U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said the United States had not yet seen the "100 percent effort" from Arafat required to get the peace process going again.

INSTANT 19:00CST/03:00 Jerusalem time - 02/03 Mar 2002

According to Yahoo/Associated Press, a Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive Saturday in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Jerusalem, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 30. Palestinian security sources identified the Jerusalem bomber as Mohammed Daragmeh, 20, a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is part of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.  Further details will be provided in Sunday's ERRI Daily Intelligence Report....

12:00CST/20:00 (Jerusalem time) - 02 March 2002

Explosion Reported in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) - Early and as yet unconfirmed reports say that dozens of people have been killed or injured in an explosion outside an Orthodox synagogue in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem. The incident happened at about 19:20 (local time), as church-goers were exiting their place of worship. Early reports from emergency service sources indicate that a number of the wounded include women and children. One report says that there are fatalities at the scene of the blast. Numerous police, military and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) units are on the scene of the incident. Police are said to be searching for any possible secondary explosive devices. The attack comes following two days of Israeli raids into Palestinian camps. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in the Mid-East and will provide additional details as the circumstances warrant...

01:00CST/09:00 Jerusalem Time - 30 Jan 2002

Explosion Reported At Check Point; Believed Another Suicide Bomb

Jerusalem, Israel (Emergencynet News) -- According to emergency service sources, an explosion has occurred near the Taiba Checkpoint on Route 444, between Tul Karem and Kalkilya, in an area under total Palestinian autonomous control. Preliminary reports suggest that a vehicle exploded at a military checkpoint. At least two people have reportedly been wounded and there appears to be one fatality, thought to be the bomber. The incident happened at about 08:15 local time. Witnesses said that the attack appeared to have been targeted at Israeli security forces. There was no warning or immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Police, fire, and military personnel are on the scene and the incident remains under investigation. EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details if/when more becomes available...

27 Jan 2002 - 08:30CST

Another Suicide Bombing Reported in Jerusalem

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: In what Israeli police have called a suicide bombing attack, at least 50 people have been injured in central Jerusalem after an explosion. The explosion hit a busy shopping street, and some reports said the number of victims was higher and that several were serious. One fatality was being reported at the time of this posting. The blast, if confirmed as a suicide bombing, is likely to trigger fresh Israeli retaliation and add to pressure on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to do more to stop militants striking against Israel.

Israel Radio said the explosion occurred near the Sbarro pizzeria at the intersection of Jaffa Street and King George Street, where 15 people were killed by a HAMAS suicide bomber on 9 August 2001. A Palestinian gunman last week went on a shooting spree on Jaffa Street, killing two women and injuring more than a dozen people before he was shot to death by police. That gunman reportedly belonged to an offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. No one immediately claimed responsibility for today's attack.

Police said this latest attack was carried out by a suicide bomber blowing himself up next to a shoe shop. The force of the explosion destroyed the shop's interior. An emergency services official said two people were seriously wounded, and more than 20 lightly injured. Jerusalem police chief Micky Levy, however, said that there may have been fatalities in the attack. He said police officers were among the wounded and they have all now been taken to a hospital. It was later learned that Levy himself was taken to an area hospital, complaining of chest pains...

23 Jan 2002

Two Dead, Twenty Wounded in Latest Attack on Civilians

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: A gunman opened fire at West Jerusalem bus stops and a clothes store on Tuesday, killing two women and wounding 20 other people. Two Palestinian groups claimed responsibility for the attack. The Qatari al Jazeera Television reported that HAMAS said in a leaflet that it had carried out the attack in revenge for the killing of four HAMAS militants, by Israeli troops, earlier Tuesday in the West Bank town of Nablus. But masked militants using loudspeakers announced in Nablus that the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the al-Fatah movement chaired by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was responsible for the attack.

The masked men identified the attacker as 24-year-old Sa'eed Ibrahim Ramadan. Police killed the gunman, who used an automatic M-16 assault rifle. Most of the injuries to bystanders were minor, but authorities said six people were seriously injured, and police said one of them was in critical condition. The gunman apparently reached central Jerusalem's Jaffa Street from the Old City. He began firing shortly after 16:00 hours local time. A bus driver said the gunman targeted him first, shattering a windshield as the bus driver sped away around a corner. Several passers-by pulled out handguns and chased the attacker. Two police officers also shot at the gunman. One of the officers, Staff Sgt. Hannan Ben-Naim, said he outflanked the gunman, guided by an eyewitness on a roof, and killed the attacker in an exchange of fire.

The bus-stop attack came hours after the criminal organization HAMAS threatened to carry out a "war" against Israeli interests in retaliation for this week's Israel Defense Forces incursions in Tulkarem and Nablus. Al Jazeera television reported that HAMAS said the bus-stop attack was because of the incursions. The IDF occupied Tulkarem for about 30 hours in a search for militants and "terrorist infrastructure," causing confrontations in which two Palestinians were killed, dozens of suspected militants were arrested with 11 still in custody. Four Palestinians were killed during the exchange of fire, and four soldiers were slightly injured.

As the troops were pulling out of that town, the Israelis carried out a predawn raid on an explosives laboratory in Nablus. The head of the Central Command, Major-General Yitzhak Eitan said that the laboratory, located in an apartment building, was "perhaps the biggest one ever found in the West Bank." Eitan said the lab contained explosive charges ready for use, belts for bombs, chemicals used for making bombs, as well as weapons and ammunition.

HAMAS issued a statement on Tuesday saying it would react to "the awful crime that the Israeli soldiers carried out on Tuesday morning against our people. This crime opens widely all gates for a total Palestinian war against the Zionist gangs." Masked members of Hamas' armed wing in Nablus used loudspeakers to call for a renewal of attacks against Israel in revenge for the slaying of their leader, Sheikh Yousif al Sarkaji from Nablus. Israeli security sources said al-Sarkaji directed HAMAS' armed branch in the northern West Bank and continued his activities "even while incarcerated" by the Palestinian Authority. Two others who were killed also held senior positions in the HAMAS terror group. The fourth, Nassim Shafid Ali Abu-Ros, "was involved in the assembling of the explosive devices used in all large-scale HAMAS attacks in the last year," an Israeli background paper issued by security sources said.

On Wednesday, the United States was putting renewed pressure on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, to stop attacks by militants. A State Department spokesman in Washington said the US was once again calling on Arafat to take immediate and effective steps to end the attacks and bring those responsible to justice. DoS spokesman Richard Boucher said: "There's no justification for these kinds of attacks. They only kill innocent people."

09:00CST - 22 Jan 2002

Multiple Injuries Following Shooting in Shopping District in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Israel (EmergencyNet News) According to emergency service sources, multiple people have been wounded following a shooting incident in a busy area in central Jerusalem. The incident happened at about 16:15 local time, after an unidentified gunman opened fire on a civilian bus. EMS sources report that at least 30 people have been transported to several area hospitals, some suffering from serious gunshot wounds.

It is believed that the gunman responsible for the attack has also been shot by security forces and a major investigation is underway to determine if the assailant acted alone. Early reports coming from the region suggested that there may be more than one gunman, but that was disputed by Jerusalem Police Chief Mickey Levy, who said that there was only one perpetrator. The latest unconfirmed report received by EmergencyNet News says that Hamas almost immediately claimed responsibility for the incident. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in the region...

18 Jan 2002

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP:

Seven Killed, 30 Wounded in Terrorist Attack ; PFLP Blamed

According to Israel army radio, seven people were killed and at least 30 others were wounded after a man attacked a reception in the northern Israeli town of Hadera. Initial Israeli reports said that a man entered the Armon David banquet hall and opened fire on hundreds of guests. Israeli army radio said the attacker was a Palestinian suicide bomber who tried to detonate explosives attached to his body at the entrance to the hall, but he was overtaken by security guards. The attacker then threw a hand grenade into the crowd. Police in Hadera were reported to have been alerted to possible attacks, but had not received specific warnings.

An emergency services official said that dozens of people were injured, some of them seriously. The attacker was apparently gunned down by police. A number of unexploded devices were reported to have been found next to the man's body. Observers in Jerusalem said Israel's government was blaming the attack on the Palestinian Authority and saying its leader Yasser Arafat had "chosen the path of terrorism." Israeli security sources suggested the attacker may have been linked to the al-Aqsa Brigade, an armed group associated with Arafat's Fatah organization, that did claim responsibility for the attack.

Just hours after the attack, Israeli aircraft destroyed a Palestinian security headquarters in the West Bank town of Tulkarm. Palestinian sources said one policeman was killed and at least 40 wounded when F-16 warplanes fired missiles which destroyed the building. In addition to the Tulkarm operation, Israel sent army reinforcements into Ramallah. Special units have taken up positions around the Palestinian leader's headquarters as well as those of the Fatah faction of which he is the head. Israeli security sources say the government plans to completely isolate the Palestinian leader, denying him even foreign visitors.

The Jerusalem Post said on Thursday that a joint operation by the IDF and the Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, foiled a string of terrorist attacks in the West Bank planned by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The attacks were foiled by the arrests of nine youths from the village of Kafil Kharath. According to security sources, the cell was operated by senior PFLP agents from Nablus who had trained them in small arms use and provided them with weapons to carry out attacks along a highway in the West Bank.

The youths told interrogators they had planned to attack Jewish civilians on their way to the tombs of Yehoshua Bin-Nun and Calev Ben-Yafuneh, which are near the village. They also plotted to plant a bomb next to the gas station in Ariel and in a nearby restaurant. The young men were all PFLP activists and had led rallies and caused unrest in the area. It was also reported this week that the Shin Bet arrested a youth from the West Bank village of Jedidyeh who had linked up with key HAMAS terrorists. They said he had purchased fake side curls and beards to be used as haredi costumes for terrorists.

Palestinian militants have reportedly threatened to harm leading members of the Palestinian Authority unless the detained leader of the radical Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) is freed. The military wing of the PFLP -- the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades -- issued a statement denouncing the arrest by Palestinian police of Ahmad Saadat, saying the Palestinian Authority had caved in to Israel's demands. Israel has voiced skepticism over the Palestinians' claim to have arrested Saadat.

In its statement, the PFLP Brigades said: "We warn the Palestinian Authority's security leaders, especially Tawfiq al-Tirawi, head of West Bank intelligence, and Ramallah police chief Mohammed Saleh, to stop arresting our members and leaders, otherwise our hand will reach them and whatever guards they may have." The PFLP's political leadership has distanced itself from the statement, which analysts say marks the first time Palestinian militants have directly threatened Palestinian officials since the Palestinian uprising, broke out in September 2000.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Saturday, January 5, 2002-Vol. 8 - 005

WORLDWIDE INTELLIGENCE:

Israelis Say They Intercepted Iranian Weapons

[Terror Group Reference: HAMAS and Hezbollah]

By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst

Somewhere on the Red Sea: The commander of the Israeli army said on Friday that commandos raided a vessel in the Red Sea, capturing 50 tons of Iranian-made weapons being smuggled in by members of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's security forces. The Palestinians denied any connection to the shipment. Lt-General Shaul Mofaz told a news conference that the vessel, Karim A., was seized on Thursday in international waters about 300 miles from Israel's Red Sea port Eilat, in a joint operation by Israel's navy, air force and intelligence services.

Mofaz said the ship carried 50 tons of mainly Iranian- manufactured arms and munitions, including long-range missiles, mortars, mines and advanced explosives -- weapons the Palestinian Authority is not permitted to have under interim peace accords with Israel. No one was hurt in the raid. The army chief said the Palestinian Authority was deeply involved in the smuggling effort. He said the vessel had been bought by the authority and the captain and several crew were members of the Palestinian naval police. He did not say where the boat's port of departure had been. According to Mofaz, the interception was proof that the Palestinian Authority was "infected by terrorism from head to toe."

U.S. officials cautioned that they had no evidence at this point that the weapons were destined for the Palestinian Authority, as claimed by Israel, and that it was possible that the weapons they were headed for the Lebanese Shi'ite group Hezbollah. (which is also designated a terrorist organization by the the U.S. Government, but not by the European Union)

Intelligence watchers now say it is clear why Mofaz postponed his planned trip to Washington this week. He was monitoring what are some are calling the joint U.S.-Israeli intelligence operation that led to the seizure of the arms ship. Officials said the United States was involved in tracking the arms-laden ship, but did not participate in its seizure.

Some observers are calling the seizure a major intelligence coup and a serious setback for the Palestinians who had staked a great deal on the arrival of the missiles as equalizers to the Israeli tanks. Israeli intelligence reportedly suspects that it was promises of some of the anti-tank weaponry that persuaded HAMAS to obey Arafat's call for a pause in terrorist attacks inside Israel.

That said, at least one experienced observer said that somebody must be giving Arafat some bad advice. What do the Palestinians think would happen if they managed to take out a few Israeli tanks with missiles? Do they consider, at all, what the Israeli response would be? If the Palestinians believe their situation is rough now...take out a few Israeli tanks and see what happens next. Former tank commander Ariel Sharon probably wouldn't be a bit amused. And, the retaliation would be sure to be devastating.

Here's another situation that the ship seizure brings up, if Iran's involvement is clear and if many of the weapons came from Iranian stocks and the ship was loaded at, what some sources say, the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, might this be considered supporting terrorist activity by Washington? Arming a recognized terrorist group (be it Hamas or Hezbollah) does sound an awful like "support."

As could be expected, on Saturday Iran denied any involvement in the shipment. One Iranian official said: "The charge is absurd." But, ERRI counter-terrorist experts say that Iran's Revolutionary Guards have a substantial amount of discretionary funding and access to weapons, and that they have often run their own operations, independent of the elected government.

02 Jan 2002

Israeli Intelligence Reportedly Concerned About HAMAS Chemical Attacks

[Terror Group Reference: HAMAS]

By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst

UNITED KINGDOM: The British newspaper, The Times, was reporting on Wednesday that Israeli intelligence is concerned that Palestinian bomb-makers are attempting to obtain deadly chemicals to use in future suicide attacks. The leaders of the military wing of HAMAS, said to be living abroad in Qatar, Syria and Jordan have reportedly decided to include chemical weapons in their arsenal.

The Times said that according to Israeli Intelligence, HAMAS first added poisonous chemicals to bombs in 1997. A senior security source said: "They used pesticides and other poisons that are relatively easy to get hold of. The concern is that they are becoming ambitious and are trying to get hold of sarin and other nerve gases."

The Israeli government has never disclosed the number of bomb attacks in which chemicals have been used because of the panic that it might cause. It is known, however, that HAMAS has used chemicals in recent bomb attacks. When two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowded area in Jerusalem in early December, for example, a car bomb timed to explode a few minutes later was reported to be packed with pesticides. Four days later, a suicide bomber who blew himself up close to a Jerusalem hotel where two Cabinet ministers were holding meetings was found to be carrying a bomb laced with the same chemical mix. So far, Israeli Health Ministry officials say that the suicide bomb blasts have destroyed the poisons’ potency by burning the chemicals.

The newspaper said that hospitals in Israel have been told to be alert for chemical weapons in all future suicide attacks and teams of experts with detection equipment will be among the first to respond to the scene of a bombing.

On its Web site, HAMAS' military wing is boasting about the panic it is creating within the Israeli military. The group, Izzedine al-Qassam, claims that its new weapon has created "a situation of fear in the Zionist security services."

Israeli intelligence has identified the alleged masterminds of this new generation of bombs. They are believed to be Jassar Samaru and Nassim Abu Rus, who are accused by Israeli intelligence of manufacturing the three devices used in suicide attacks in Jerusalem, Haifa and the Jewish settlement of Emmanuel in December, in which 37 people died. The two suspects are believed to work from an unofficial laboratory in the West Bank town of Nablus. A senior Israeli security source said: "These two are at the very top of the wanted list of terrorists given to Yasser Arafat. Every major suicide bomb has been built by these two men."

The Times report said even though the two bomb-makers were arrested by Palestinian police in 1997 and sentenced to 15 years in prison in Jericho, Israeli intelligence says that they were still able to build bombs while in jail. In October 2000, they were released after Arafat reportedly said he feared that the Israelis were going to launch a helicopter attack on the jail to kill the men.

Click here for 10 Dec 2001 EmergencyNet News Haz-Mat page reference on Hamas use of chemicals in terrorist attacks...

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP: [Terror Group Reference: HAMAS] In leaflets distributed on Saturday, the Islamic militant group HAMAS reiterated its suspension of attacks in Israel, but left open the possibility of continuing them against targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The HAMAS armed wing group Izel Dein Al Kassam warned Israel of counter- attacks if its army strikes Palestinian targets.

The warning came as Palestinian Authority security forces and police continued to crack down on Palestinian militants. Palestinian sources said security forces had started a campaign to clean up all mosques in the Gaza Strip of materials used to incite militants that were hanged on the walls and signed by HAMAS and Islamic Jihad...a move that many have advocated for a long time.

From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Thursday, December 27, 2001-Vol. 7, No. 363

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP:

[Terror Group Reference: HAMAS and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)]

Palestinian sources said a Palestinian civilian was killed in a shootout between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen barricaded in a house on the West Bank. According to Israeli military officials, Israeli soldiers and tanks surrounded the house in the Palestinian-ruled town of Jenin after troops came under attack at a nearby Israeli army post.

Earlier, Israel arrested 18 people in a raid on a Palestinian village on the West Bank, whom Israel said were connected with terrorist activities. And in an easing of conditions for the Palestinians, Israel lifted its blockade of the West Bank town of Jericho, which has been under closure for most of the past 15 months of fighting between the two sides. In Jenin, a 53-year-old man was killed by Israeli helicopter gunship fire as a clash erupted between Israeli forces and two Palestinian gunmen. Military sources said Israeli tanks fired two shells at the building after penetrating about 1000 feet into the Palestinian-controlled territory. Israeli troops pursued the gunmen into Jenin after coming under attack near the Jewish settlement of Kadim. Palestinian officials said two people, including a Palestinian policeman, were also wounded in the fighting.

Continuing its offensive against suspected Palestinian militants, about 300 Israeli soldiers raided the West Bank village of Azzoun, which is under joint Israeli and Palestinian control. Palestinian sources said 18 men were arrested in house-to-house searches. Israel said it arrested 17 Palestinians "suspected of hostile activity", including members of the Islamic militant group Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Analysts in Jerusalem say the raid was part of a strategy by Israel to exert maximum pressure on the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, to try to force him to carry out his own arrests of militants. Israel's clear message to Arafat is that he should be arresting extremists and that if he does not, the Israeli military will carry on taking its own action.

On Thursday, Israeli forces launched a fresh raid into Palestinian-ruled territory in the West Bank, seizing eight more suspected militants as troops came under fire from Palestinian gunmen. The Israeli army said the arrests of suspected members of the HAMAS Islamic terror movement in the divided city of Hebron were carried out to "frustrate terror activity." No injuries were reported.

ISRAEL-WEST BANK-GAZA STRIP:

[Terror Group Reference: HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)]

The militant Palestinian groups HAMAS and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) say they have suspended suicide attacks against Israel until further notice. The announcements were apparently aimed at stopping the increasingly bloody fighting between Palestinian police and militants, which reached a climax on Friday when six people were killed and over 80 wounded in a gun battle in Gaza. The clashes were the worst since the Palestinian Authority was set up in 1994 and marked one of the most serious internal challenges made to Yasser Arafat's leadership.

In another move to ease internal tension, Palestinian groups spearheaded by Arafat's Fatah faction agreed with HAMAS that Palestinian security forces would not detain senior HAMAS leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Instead, Rantissi would be confined to his home in the Gaza Strip and would not give interviews to the media.

HAMAS' military wing posted a statement on its Web site saying it would uphold the decision not to carry out suicide attacks against Is