During the past four days, the IDF has conducted wide-scale activity in PLO-controlled areas and has encircled the main cities there. On Friday night and Saturday, Israeli tanks rolled into Tul Karm (east of Netanya) and Kalkilya (east of Kfar Saba). The initiative began on Wednesday, following the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, when the IDF moved into Jenin (east of Hadera), Ramallah (north of Jerusalem), and Shechem (east of Ra’anana). Thursday night, Israeli forces entered Beth Lechem. This is the largest ground activity carried out so far in area under the jurisdiction of Yasser Arafat.
The IDF Spokesperson emphasizes that the IDF will continue this activity as much as is required, in order to protect and defend the citizens of the State of Israel. Despite shooting at Israeli civilian targets in Hevron, the IDF has not yet recaptured the hills surrounding the Jewish community there.
Before each deployment of forces, Israel notified the PLO where it was about to move into, and stated that if PLO troops would not open fire, they would not be hurt. But, Israeli troops faced fierce Arab fire, and 6 IDF soldiers were wounded - two in the Jenin area, two in the Bethlehem area, and two in the Tul Karem area. One of soldiers in Beth Lechem was seriously wounded, and all the others were lightly wounded. The IDF surmises that some 20 Hamas, Tanzim and armed terrorists were killed or wounded.
In the fighting in Bet Lechem over the Sabbath, Arabs opened fire at Israeli forces from the PLO headquarters in the town. Israeli choppers responded firing missiles into the building, reportedly wounding 15.
IDF commander of Judea and Samaria Brig.-Gen. Gershon Yitzhak says today that the IDF will exit from PLO-controlled areas, just as it pulled out from the Shalhevet and Harat a\'Sheikh hills in Hevron last week. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer also told reporters today that Israel has no plans to stay anywhere in the PLO cities. He said that the moment that Israel believes the Arabs will stop the violence in a given area, Israel will pull out.
Critics note that pulling out from areas where PLO forces opened fire is a continuation of the Israeli policy that the Arabs should not have to bear any costs, in the long run, for their violence and violation of agreements. Dr. Aaron Lerner of Independent Media Review Analysis says that the declaration that Israel will not stay in Arafat’s cities communicates to the decision makers in the PLO that they can kill as many Israelis as they want knowing that once they stop, it will cost them nothing either in terms of the territory they control during the intermediate period or in terms of the territory that they can expect to control in a final agreement.
The IDF Spokesperson emphasizes that the IDF will continue this activity as much as is required, in order to protect and defend the citizens of the State of Israel. Despite shooting at Israeli civilian targets in Hevron, the IDF has not yet recaptured the hills surrounding the Jewish community there.
Before each deployment of forces, Israel notified the PLO where it was about to move into, and stated that if PLO troops would not open fire, they would not be hurt. But, Israeli troops faced fierce Arab fire, and 6 IDF soldiers were wounded - two in the Jenin area, two in the Bethlehem area, and two in the Tul Karem area. One of soldiers in Beth Lechem was seriously wounded, and all the others were lightly wounded. The IDF surmises that some 20 Hamas, Tanzim and armed terrorists were killed or wounded.
In the fighting in Bet Lechem over the Sabbath, Arabs opened fire at Israeli forces from the PLO headquarters in the town. Israeli choppers responded firing missiles into the building, reportedly wounding 15.
IDF commander of Judea and Samaria Brig.-Gen. Gershon Yitzhak says today that the IDF will exit from PLO-controlled areas, just as it pulled out from the Shalhevet and Harat a\'Sheikh hills in Hevron last week. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer also told reporters today that Israel has no plans to stay anywhere in the PLO cities. He said that the moment that Israel believes the Arabs will stop the violence in a given area, Israel will pull out.
Critics note that pulling out from areas where PLO forces opened fire is a continuation of the Israeli policy that the Arabs should not have to bear any costs, in the long run, for their violence and violation of agreements. Dr. Aaron Lerner of Independent Media Review Analysis says that the declaration that Israel will not stay in Arafat’s cities communicates to the decision makers in the PLO that they can kill as many Israelis as they want knowing that once they stop, it will cost them nothing either in terms of the territory they control during the intermediate period or in terms of the territory that they can expect to control in a final agreement.