NABLUS,
November 6 (IslamOnline.net) - A Palestinian woman was killed in a
fresh rampaging Israeli incursion into the northern West bank city of
Nablus early Thursday, November 6, a few hours after Jewish settlers
chopped down hundreds of olive trees grown on Palestinian farmland in
the area.
Backed
by helicopter gunships, some 30 Israeli army patrols pushed into the
northern neighborhoods of the city, carrying out strict house-to-house
searches allegedly in search of "wanted" Palestinians and
ammunitions, eyewitnesses told IslamOnline.net.
An
indiscriminate and intensive fire shooting on the houses by the
invading forces ensued, leaving the 38-year-old Imtiaz Abu Ras shot
dead by an Israeli army sniper inside her home in Nablus, they added.
But
Israeli forces blocked the access of an Palestinian Red Cross
ambulance vehicle trying to rush her to a nearby hospital.
Ras
breathed her last after she was left bleeding before her husband and
children unable to take any action, eyewitnesses said, noting the
panic spreading among children and women during the massive raid.
"After
a shooting spree for one hour, my wife looked through the bedroom's
window to see what was happening, but she fell down, in a
nutshell," her husband Abu Gamal told IOL.
Choking
back his tears, Abu Gamal said he first thought his wife was trying to
seek a shelter from the random fire shooting.
"But
she was injured by two shots, in the head and the neck, enough to draw
an end to her entire life," he lamented.
"They
prevented her from being rushed to hospital, they killed her,"
Abu Gamal said with a hysterical tone, remembering how his family's
appeal to allow the ambulance vehicle into were rebuffed by the
Israeli soldiers armed to teeth.
Detentions
Israeli
army also detained a number of local inhabitants, taking them away
hand-tied and blindfolded, and also used them as human shields during
the incursion.
Occupying
the rooftops of the buildings and opening random fire on civilians,
the Israeli forces triggered clashes with the gunmen and guards of the
city, eyewitnesses said.
There
was no immediate comment from the Israeli side.
The
latest death brings the overall toll since the outbreak of the
Palestinian Intifada against Israeli occupation in late September 2000
to 3,592, including 2,677 Palestinians and 849 Israelis, according to
the count of Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Deceptive
 |
|
The Palestinians said Israel didn’t ease restrictions in the West Bank
|
The
incursion came a few hours after Israel announced it was relaxing its
blockade of Palestinian towns in the West Bank except Nablus and
Jenin.
But
the Palestinian Authority denied the ease, saying the Israeli
announcement is nothing but deceptive.
"On
the contrary, checkpoints in the city of Ramallah for example became
more strict," eyewitnesses were quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying.
Israel
sealed off the West Bank after the massive bombing attack in the
northern town of Haifa a month ago, but the army chief of staff
General Moshe Yaalon said last week that the blockade was proving
counterproductive
by encouraging extremism, including in traditionally quieter
Palestinian areas.
Yaalon
was even summoned by Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who scolded him
over his subversive comments but obtained no apology or retraction.
Hamas
Denies New Truce
The
incursion came one day after Hamas dismissed reports claiming it had
offered a new truce with Israel, saying Sharon's earlier claims that
he was ready for "peace" was a new media maneuver.
"The
situation on the ground belies all of these allegations of the
criminal Sharon, the group said in a statement obtained by IOL.
Hamas
political leader Abdel-Aziz Rantissi said
on Monday, November 3, that the group could halt its attacks on
civilians in Israel if Israel stops attacking Palestinian civilians.
"There
were always calls by the group for turning civilians away from the
circle of violence, but Israel - also always - respond with increasing
aggressions against the Palestinian people," read the new
statement.
But
the Palestinian resistance leader had repeatedly ruled out renewing the
unilateral truce with Israel, asserting that the
step could not be taken while the Israeli attacks and incursions went
on non-stop.
A
report released by a Palestinian human rights organization revealed in
August 2003 that Israel had carried out 854 violations of the earlier
truce. (Click
to see a breakdown for Israeli violations).
Olive
Branches Destroyed
In
the meantime, Israeli settlers have chopped down hundreds of olive
trees grown on Palestinian farmland in the West Bank, sources on both
sides said.
Residents
of the northern West Bank village of Sawiya were quoted by AFP as
saying they discovered that hundreds of their trees had been sawn down
just as they were about to begin harvesting.
The
villagers had not been able to access their land near the settlement
of Eli earlier as they needed authorization from the Israeli army.
Villagers
in Hawara, close to the town of Nablus, also said hundreds of their
olive trees had been destroyed by Israelis in nearby settlements.
Uri
Ariel, an MP for the right-wing National Union bloc who is close to
settlers' organizations, claimed it was not known who was behind the
destruction, adding that: "We are completely opposed to this type
of action".
During
a meeting with U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer, President
Moshe Katsav "sharply condemned the uprooting of olive trees
belonging to Palestinians", an official government statement
said.
