|
Israel Fires 15 Missiles At Gaza City
 |
|
Palestinian
boys look at a damaged metal workshop damaged in the Israeli air
raid (AFP)
|
By
Mostafa Al-Sawaf, IOL Correspondent
GAZA
CITY, March 15 (IslamOnline.net) – Four Israeli strike helicopters
fired at dawn Monday, March 15, at least 15 missiles at Palestinian
industrial workshops in Gaza City, causing power blackout.
Witnesses
told IslamOnline.net that the missiles badly damaged two metal
foundries in Al-Zaytun and Al-Nasr districts. The 40-minute shelling
knocked out power supplies in the city, plunging the entire city into
darkness, they added.
There
is no word yet of casualties in the early morning air strikes, which
came hours after double
bombings at the southern Israeli
port
of
Ashdod
, which killed at least 11 Israelis and injured up to 20 others.
The
operation was jointly claimed by the armed wings of Hamas and Fatah,
Ezzudin Al-Qassam Brigades and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.
It
was the first attack of its kind at an Israeli seaport since the
Palestinian Intifada broke out in September 2000 against the Israeli
occupation.
The
Israeli army claimed that the Palestinian workshops were used in
arming the Palestinian resistance factions.
Scores
of Palestinians rushed to the targeted areas following the end of the
strikes, shouting anti-occupation slogans as fire engines were
battling the raging flames.
According
to witnesses, some of the missiles were fired at residential areas but
did not explode and others exploded in the air before reaching their
targets.
Rafah
Sweep
 |
|
Palestinian medics
help a man wounded in the raid
|
Meanwhile,
a 27-year-old Palestinian man was killed by Israeli gunfire when tanks
pushed deep into the Gaza Strip city of
Rafah
early on Monday.
Israeli
soldiers shot dead Mossad Ayish Armilat after besieging his house
under the pretext that his brother Mostafa was wanted for attacks
against Israelis.
The
Israeli tanks shelled Palestinian houses in the sweep. There are no
immediate reports about any casualties.
Also
on Monday, Israeli troops arrested five Palestinians, including Hamas
activists, in the West bank
Separately,
a roadside bomb exploded Monday near a heavily-guarded convoy of
Jewish settlers in northern Gaza Strip, but caused no casualties.
Summit
Postponed
Moving
to the political front, as a summit between Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Ahmed Qorei, which was
set to take place this week, was postponed indefinitely after Sunday's
attack in
Ashdod
, Israeli government spokesman Avi Pazner said.
"I
can confirm that this meeting will not take place in these
conditions," Pazner told AFP. "A meeting cannot be held in
the midst of terror attacks.
Sharon
and Qorei were widely tipped to hold their first ever meeting as early
as Tuesday before the attack in the southern port, with their
respective bureau chiefs finalizing the agenda.
Sharon's
chief aide Dov Weisglass and Qorei's bureau chief Hassan Abu Libdeh
had met earlier Sunday and agreed to hold yet another round of
preparatory talks on Monday, sources on both sides said. That meeting
has now also been cancelled.
Qorei's
office said in a statement that "we are sorry for this
cancellation of tomorrow's meeting", adding that "we hope
talks will be resumed as soon as possible."
Palestinian
negotiations minister Saeb Erakat, who has been attending the
preparatory talks, also expressed dismay at the postponement.
"We
are sorry for the cancellation of all the meetings," he told AFP.
"A
resumption of dialogue is needed to bring an end to the cycle of
violence."
|
