The Israeli army begins calling reservists troops for duty Sunday morning, Israel Radio reported Saturday. A number of reservists received call-up notices over the weekend, while other units were notified of that they will be called-up in the near future.
More than one brigade will be called for duty, the radio said. The soldiers will be used to assist troops already operating in Palestinian areas.
Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet decided in principle Friday in favor both of expelling the families of suicide bombers from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, and of Palestinians involved in attacks from the territories, the Israeli media reported.
As of Sunday morning, the Israeli forces remained in at least six areas in the West Bank, where strict curfews were in force. Israeli security sources said that the current operation on the West Bank is likely to last several weeks. Israeli troops now occupy parts of Jenin, Nablus, Bitunya and Bethlehem; Israeli forces are also moving in and out of Tulkarem and Qalqilyah.
Within this framework, Israeli armor rumbled Sunday morning into the West Bank city of Qalqilya. Palestinian witnesses said about 60 Israeli vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, pushed into the city before sunrise and took over several buildings.
For his part, Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo charged that Israel was planning "to impose military rule through what is being called civil administration.
"This is part of the plot adopted by (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon to put an end to the Palestinian Authority," he told AFP.
He also criticised the United States for condoning Israeli action, after US President George W. Bush said on Friday that Israel had the right to defend itself in retaliation for Palestinian suicide attacks.
"It is a shame that the Americans consider the Israeli action as a mere reaction, rather than see it for what it is: a bid to put an end to the Oslo (accords) and the Palestinian Authority," Abed Rabbo said.
On the ground, in two refugee camps on the edge of Nablus, Israeli fire wounded Saturday five Palestinians who were out during a temporary lifting of the curfew, Palestinian witnesses said. The army said the curfew was not lifted in Nablus and that it fired tear gas and rubber bullets at Palestinians who attacked soldiers with rocks and some live fire.
Near Nablus on Friday, a group of Israeli settlers went on a rampage as they returned from the funerals of a mother and her three sons, killed in a Palestinian attack on the settlement of Itamar.
After the funerals, the settlers drove toward the village of Hawara, and killed a Palestinian man and torched a home and a car, Palestinian villagers said.
Israeli police arrested a 27-year-old Jewish settler in connection with the shooting death, police said Saturday, according to AP. But the investigation was hampered because the Palestinians did not want to turn over the body of the dead Palestinian man, police added. (Albawaba.com)
