Israel has officially denied any involvement in the death of 52-year-old Taisir Khatab, director of the PA Intelligence Services office headed by Amin el-Hindi. Khatab was killed and his bodyguard was very seriously wounded when their car exploded in the heart of PA-controlled Gaza yesterday. A French news agency received a message from an Arab organization claiming that he had been killed for \"aiding the Zionist enemy.\" While Palestinian PA sources initially blamed Israel for the assassination, even PA television later reported that all possibilities are being investigated. Israeli security officials theorize that the car was blown up as part of ongoing gang warfare within the Palestinian Authority.
Arab violence today included gun battles outside N\'vei Dekalim in Gush Katif, Gaza; two bombs in Hevron, shooting west of Ramallah; and rock-throwing that wounded a Kiryat Arab resident. Last night, the Karnei Shomron-Alfei Menashe route was closed for a short while after many Israeli cars were firebombed there; no one was hurt.
Yesterday\'s violence was more intense, and included gunfire against:
Soldiers north of Hevron and on Mt. Eval.. Border Guard bases in the Jenin and Tul Karem areas... Elisha in the Jericho area... Yad Ya\'ir near Ramallah... the sentry post of the northern Shomron community of Chomesh. In Gaza, southwestern Israel, an IDF position near Gadid and the industrial zone of Netzarim were hit, and an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded near Gan-Or.
Even Taibe, inside the pre-1967 borders of Israel, was the scene of a serious shooting attack on an Israeli car last night, and the driver was moderately wounded. Earlier, another Israeli motorist was bombarded by rock-throwers near the Israeli-Arab town of Um el-Fahm.
Other attacks this weekend included grenade attacks on the IDF District Coordinating Office in N’vei Dekalim and on the Tarmit Outpost in the south, a roadside bomb against a military vehicle east of Shechem and another one near the Jewish town of Kadim. Yet another bomb was discovered yesterday afternoon near Ramallah by an alert IDF patrol and safely neutralized.
Government officials announced at the end of last week that Abu Ali Mustafa, the late head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization, was planning a major car bomb attack on Jewish children beginning their school year today. Mustafa was eliminated last week by Israeli missiles as he sat in his Ramallah office.
Arab violence today included gun battles outside N\'vei Dekalim in Gush Katif, Gaza; two bombs in Hevron, shooting west of Ramallah; and rock-throwing that wounded a Kiryat Arab resident. Last night, the Karnei Shomron-Alfei Menashe route was closed for a short while after many Israeli cars were firebombed there; no one was hurt.
Yesterday\'s violence was more intense, and included gunfire against:
Soldiers north of Hevron and on Mt. Eval.. Border Guard bases in the Jenin and Tul Karem areas... Elisha in the Jericho area... Yad Ya\'ir near Ramallah... the sentry post of the northern Shomron community of Chomesh. In Gaza, southwestern Israel, an IDF position near Gadid and the industrial zone of Netzarim were hit, and an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded near Gan-Or.
Even Taibe, inside the pre-1967 borders of Israel, was the scene of a serious shooting attack on an Israeli car last night, and the driver was moderately wounded. Earlier, another Israeli motorist was bombarded by rock-throwers near the Israeli-Arab town of Um el-Fahm.
Other attacks this weekend included grenade attacks on the IDF District Coordinating Office in N’vei Dekalim and on the Tarmit Outpost in the south, a roadside bomb against a military vehicle east of Shechem and another one near the Jewish town of Kadim. Yet another bomb was discovered yesterday afternoon near Ramallah by an alert IDF patrol and safely neutralized.
Government officials announced at the end of last week that Abu Ali Mustafa, the late head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization, was planning a major car bomb attack on Jewish children beginning their school year today. Mustafa was eliminated last week by Israeli missiles as he sat in his Ramallah office.