Step-by-step, and not as dramatically as originally felt, the IDF continues to wipe out the terrorist infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority. Last night, IDF forces captured one of the top Hamas terrorists in the Bethlehem region, Haled Tapesh, near the Church of the Nativity. This caps a week in which several major terrorist leaders, most notably Fatah/Tanzim Secretary-General Marwan Barghouti, were apprehended.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer surprised Israelis with his announcement today that the IDF would withdraw from most of Ramallah this Sunday. Whatever army forces will remain will concentrate in the area of Arafat\'s Mukata compound. Arafat is still holed up in four rooms there, together with the murderers of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi and the organizer of the Karin-A weapons ship.
The IDF also withdrew from Jenin during the night, and is expected to complete its withdrawal from Shechem within 48 hours. The forces will remain tightly encircling the cities, but army sources say today that the Arabs will attempt to carry out suicide murders in the near future to prove the failure of Operation Defensive Shield. The National Union party asks today, \"Who will answer for all the victims that will die as a result of these withdrawals?\"
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer surprised Israelis with his announcement today that the IDF would withdraw from most of Ramallah this Sunday. Whatever army forces will remain will concentrate in the area of Arafat\'s Mukata compound. Arafat is still holed up in four rooms there, together with the murderers of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze\'evi and the organizer of the Karin-A weapons ship.
The IDF also withdrew from Jenin during the night, and is expected to complete its withdrawal from Shechem within 48 hours. The forces will remain tightly encircling the cities, but army sources say today that the Arabs will attempt to carry out suicide murders in the near future to prove the failure of Operation Defensive Shield. The National Union party asks today, \"Who will answer for all the victims that will die as a result of these withdrawals?\"