Operation Defensive Shield continues quietly, and another \"important\" wanted terrorist was captured today: Husan Ali Badaran, head of Hamas\' military wing in the Shomron. IDF ground troops, covered by combat helicopters, arrested him near Shechem; two of his terrorist colleagues were killed in the process. Badaran was responsible for the murder of over 100 Israelis, helping to organize the massacres at the Dolphinarium (21 killed), Sbarro\'s (15), the Park Hotel Seder attack (28), the Matza Restaurant (15), and more.
Israeli forces arrested two other terrorist fugitives during raids in several Arab villages last night. In one of the villages near Jenin, 17 terrorists suspects were apprehended, and two ready-to-explode bombs were discovered and neutralized... Last night, following Independence Day celebrations at the open IDF Naval base in Eilat - 14,000 people attended - Israel Navy ships on a security patrol discovered a suspicious boat carrying two passengers. The Israelis detained the craft and placed the crew under investigation in Eilat... Sixteen stolen cars were recovered in Palestinian Authority areas in a joint police-and-army operation in the past day. Several Palestinian suspects in the thefts were arrested...
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that Israel would try to withdraw from most of the PA-cities by this Sunday. The chief obstacles in the way of full withdrawals, Ben-Eliezer said, are the issues of the murderers of Rehavam Ze\'evi and the organizer of the Karin-A weapons ship, holed up in Arafat\'s compound in Ramallah - and the armed terrorists in the Bethlehem church. Arafat\'s isolation continues to be whittled away, however. Today, Jordan\'s Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher arrived with Arafat\'s personal doctor for a meeting with the PLO leader in Ramallah. The doctor gave Arafat a medical check-up.
Former President Ezer Weizman, an ardent Oslo process supporter, said yesterday that the ongoing IDF war against terrorism, Operation Defensive Shield, is \"100% justified and was necessary.\" He stated that Prime Minister Sharon acted correctly in ordering the activation of over 20,000 reservists to move into PA areas and dismantle Yasser Arafat\'s terrorist base. Asked to comment about the 39 soldiers and officers sitting in military jail for their refusal to serve in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, & Gaza) areas, Weizman stated, \"It\'s simple. Over 100% of the reservists drafted to duty responded, as there are also many volunteers... The numbers speak for themselves, and we need not relate to those insignificant few others...\"
Israeli forces arrested two other terrorist fugitives during raids in several Arab villages last night. In one of the villages near Jenin, 17 terrorists suspects were apprehended, and two ready-to-explode bombs were discovered and neutralized... Last night, following Independence Day celebrations at the open IDF Naval base in Eilat - 14,000 people attended - Israel Navy ships on a security patrol discovered a suspicious boat carrying two passengers. The Israelis detained the craft and placed the crew under investigation in Eilat... Sixteen stolen cars were recovered in Palestinian Authority areas in a joint police-and-army operation in the past day. Several Palestinian suspects in the thefts were arrested...
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that Israel would try to withdraw from most of the PA-cities by this Sunday. The chief obstacles in the way of full withdrawals, Ben-Eliezer said, are the issues of the murderers of Rehavam Ze\'evi and the organizer of the Karin-A weapons ship, holed up in Arafat\'s compound in Ramallah - and the armed terrorists in the Bethlehem church. Arafat\'s isolation continues to be whittled away, however. Today, Jordan\'s Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher arrived with Arafat\'s personal doctor for a meeting with the PLO leader in Ramallah. The doctor gave Arafat a medical check-up.
Former President Ezer Weizman, an ardent Oslo process supporter, said yesterday that the ongoing IDF war against terrorism, Operation Defensive Shield, is \"100% justified and was necessary.\" He stated that Prime Minister Sharon acted correctly in ordering the activation of over 20,000 reservists to move into PA areas and dismantle Yasser Arafat\'s terrorist base. Asked to comment about the 39 soldiers and officers sitting in military jail for their refusal to serve in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, & Gaza) areas, Weizman stated, \"It\'s simple. Over 100% of the reservists drafted to duty responded, as there are also many volunteers... The numbers speak for themselves, and we need not relate to those insignificant few others...\"