CAIRO, November 17 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - "What happened in al-Khalil Friday night was not a "massacre," as claimed by the (Israeli) spokespeople, nor was it an attack on "peaceful Jewish worshippers" returning from prayers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs, an Israeli writer wrote Sunday, November 17, referring to the Palestinian ambush that claimed 12 Israeli soldiers and armed settlers.

Ha'aretz correspondent Amos Harel said, "The attack actually began several minutes after all of the worshippers had already returned safely to Kiryat Arba. The twelve Israeli casualties in Hebron were not murdered. Those killed Friday were killed in combat".

All of the victims were armed fighters, who were more or less trained. They fell victim to a well-planned ambush that included both machine-gun fire and grenades, which trapped them in a compromising situation they found hard to overcome.

"The ambush actually took place in the 'Israeli' section of al-Khalil, dozens of meters from the Kiryat Arba security fence, in an area occupied by the Israeli forces before the withdrawal, and where soldiers have continued to operate since the withdrawal."

Meanwhile, the successful Islamic Jihad resistance attack in al-Khalil (Hebron) showed the Palestinians have adopted welcome new tactics against Israeli occupation by targeting soldiers and settlers in the occupied territories, Gulf newspapers said Sunday.

Condemnation in Europe and the United States as well as by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who spoke of "the despicable terrorist attack", was criticized by several dailies, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

In Qatar, Al-Sharq said the "Sabbath massacre" Friday night, November 15, was "a qualitative leap forward in resistance operations" since soldiers and settlers were attacked rather than civilians within Israel.

"A new stage has begun in the Palestinian resistance", said Al-Watan, also published in Doha.

The daily urged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "to draw a lesson" from the raid and order an unconditional withdrawal from occupied territory.

"This is a precedent in the history of the Intifada since the operation was launched in a zone under Israeli security control and against occupation soldiers," said Al-Raya, another Qatari newspaper.

In Saudi Arabia, Al-Jazira said "the operation cannot be classified among the attacks on civilians given there were nine troops among the 12 dead."

A spate of Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians this year provoked international outrage and divided the Palestinian society.

Al-Khaleej in the United Arab Emirates deplored Annan's statement, noting "he rushed to condemn the operation, calling it terrorist despite the fact it took place in an occupied town".

The Dubai government daily Al-Bayan also regretted "numerous voices raised in Europe to deny the Palestinians the right to resist".

Al-Ittihad of Abu Dhabi warned against the consequences and voiced fears that Israel could "put an end to the Palestinian presence in al-Khalil".