Unmindful of world criticism to destroying Palestinian homes, Israeli forces continue making more Palestinians homeless

GAZA CITY, January 7 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Israeli occupation troops killed two Palestinians during an incursion early Tuesday, January 7, into the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, bringing the overnight total to three deaths, Palestinian officials said.

The bodies of the two victims, named as Nassim el Mehela, 25, and Baker Hadura, 25, were found Tuesday morning while a third Palestinian was wounded, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Earlier, 28-year-old Yiad Abu Zayad was shot dead. He was in a car with his brother, who was wounded, when soldiers opened fire during an incursion into the camp, the sources said.

The Israeli army spokesman claimed a sweep had been launched on Maghazi camp and that Palestinians had opened fire on the soldiers who had replied, hitting several of them.

The killings bring to 2,832 the toll from the Palestinian Intifada, which started late September, 2000. The dead include 2,076 Palestinians and 707 Israelis.

The Israeli occupation army started two incursions into the Gaza Strip late Monday, Palestinian security officials said.

Some 30 tanks and armored vehicles backed up by helicopters moved in to autonomous territory in the central Gaza Strip around Maghazi. There were exchanges of fire, the officials said.

The army also entered the Khan Yunes sector in the south of the Strip where bulldozers destroyed several Palestinian homes.

Earlier, the Israeli navy imposed a blockade on the coast of Gaza, forbidding fishermen to go out in the Mediterranean, Palestinian officials said.

They added that Israeli tanks and armored vehicles had moved into the Maghazi camp backed by helicopters.

London Talks May Be Cancelled

On the political level, Britain said Tuesday that upcoming talks in London to discuss reforms of the Palestinian Authority might have to be cancelled after Israel's decision to ban Authority representatives from attending.

However, a Downing Street spokeswoman denied a report in The Times daily that the talks had been postponed indefinitely after Israel's move.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman said Monday that the plan was for the meeting to go ahead in mid-January.

"Should a travel ban be imposed on representatives from the Palestinian Authority, then obviously a judgment would have to be taken regarding the usefulness of such a conference going ahead in such circumstances," the spokesman said.

He hoped "that this decision would be revised by the Israelis and that the Palestinian representatives would be allowed to attend".

"We would have to wait and see how things panned out over the next few days," the spokesman added.

Blair invited representatives of the PA, along with other countries in the region and the so-called diplomatic Quartet of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations trying to solve the bloody 27-month Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Palestinian sources had said the discussions would be held on January 13-14, though this has not been confirmed by London.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Monday he "greatly regrets" Israel's ban.

The Daily Telegraph said Tuesday that Blair was left struggling to save his Middle East peace strategy after a "furious" row between Straw and his Israeli counterpart, Binyamin Netanyahu, following Israel's ban.

Straw, aware that the ban would wreck the London summit, rang Netanyahu to try to persuade him to change his mind, the British daily said.

However, according to a transcript issued by the Israelis, Netanyahu told Straw that the attacks on Tel Aviv meant there was no chance of "business as usual".

According to the Telegraph, Netanyahu urged Britain to adopt U.S. President George W. Bush's position "that leaders compromised by terrorism cannot be partners for peace".

Netanyahu said, "You in Britain are doing the exact opposite."

But Straw replied, according to the Telegraph: "No, it is Israel that is doing the opposite. Instead of concentrating on dealing with terrorism, it is striking at (Palestinian) delegates."

Blair called the London meeting last month - according to observers partly to try to assuage Arab opinion in the event of a war in Iraq.

Chris Patten, the European Union's external affairs commissioner, joined in urging Israel to reconsider its travel ban on the Palestinian representatives.

He was quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying: "It is a rather self-defeating decision, whether or not it is a calculated snub. It is certainly a decision which should be reconsidered and I hope it will be."