Four Jewish Settlers Killed in West Bank Shooting Attack
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Israeli settlers are seen as major obstacle to peace in the Middle East
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Additional
reporting by Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff
HEBRON,
West Bank, July 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Four Israeli
settlers were killed Friday afternoon in two shooting attacks south of
the West Bank city of Hebron. At least three of the dead are from the
same family, news agencies reported.
The two attacks occurred within about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from
one another, near Zif Junction, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) southeast
of Hebron, according to settler spokesman Yehoshua Mor-Yosef. They
took place at approximately the same time.
The
attack followed Monday's air strike in Gaza, widely seen as a war
crime, in which an Israeli missile hit a densely populated Palestinian
area, killing 18 civilians, 11 of them children.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility. However, several Palestinian
resistance groups vowed to seek revenge on Israel for its air strike
earlier this week on Gaza City. The Palestinian groups declared “all
Israelis and settlers” are targets for Palestinian attacks after
Israel made it clear “all Palestinians” are targets for its
forces.
According
to preliminary reports, the two attacks were carried out by the same
group of Palestinian freedom fighters traveling in the area. In the
first attack they opened fire at a vehicle near the Zif Junction.
Three passengers in the vehicle were killed.
The vehicle carrying the fighters continued on until it opened fire at
another vehicle near the Carmel settlement. In this attack one Israeli
was killed, while another person was seriously wounded and two others
suffered light injuries.
Israeli occupation troops were searching the area for the attackers
who managed to escape before the arrival of Israeli forces.
David
Baker, an official in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon, claimed Friday's attack was "graphic proof of the extent
of Palestinian terror and how totally devoted they are to killing
innocent Israeli civilians.
"Israel
is resolved to rid itself of the noose of terror hanging over
us," Baker said. "No people can be expected to tolerate this
terror and Israel will certainly not do so."
Observers
in the region find it “ironic” for Israeli officials to talk about
terror.
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| This attack is a revenge for Gaza massacre, observer
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“It
is only ironic to hear Israeli officials complain about Palestinian
terror. Gaza’s massacre is the best definition for the word
terrorism. When you are proud of striking civilian targets, killing 18
people, 11 of them children, you can not be anything but a first class
terrorist, this is Sharon,” an Egyptian political observer told
IslamOnline Friday, July 26, asking not to be named.
“Friday’s
attack can be seen as both a revenge attack and an act of resistance
as well. It took place near illegal settlements in Hebron, where 400
heavily-armed Jewish settlers spread fear and panic, protected by the
occupation army, among more than 100,000 Palestinians. Therefore, it
is only normal for resistance activists to target those fanatics who
never stop targeting Palestinian civilians,” he added.
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