Israeli troops Wednesday destroyed two police positions in the Gaza Strip used by the Palestinian Navy Police, following the pre-dawn attack on a nearby Israeli army post, in which four Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian gunmen were killed.
The stations were located close to the shooting site, and were in “Area B”, technically under Israeli security control. The Palestinian police remained in the posts and were ordered by the occupation troops to hand over their weapons before the posts were completely destroyed.
Israeli sources told reporters that this move, done on the Palestinian side of the border overlooking the army post where the soldiers died, was a "lesson" to the Palestinian security forces for not preventing the early morning raid.
Palestinian security sources claimed that Israeli forces had also taken over a Palestinian police position near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Additionally, Israeli tanks and bulldozers stormed the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah and started razing homes early Thursday. The tanks and bulldozers had begun destroying homes under cover of heavy machine-gun fire.
U.S. Reaction
The White House on Wednesday declared as particularly disturbing the attack by Hamas members, which killed four Israeli Army soldiers, calling it an obvious assault on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s authority.
"President Bush was especially concerned about the attack, claimed by the militant group Hamas, since it occurred as U.S. officials sensed progress in their efforts to broker peace in the region," stated White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. "It is particularly disturbing because it came at a time when the situation on the ground had been relatively quiet," Fleischer added.
The spokesman added the violence was a direct attack on the authority of Arafat, and appealed to the Palestinian leader to catch suspected “terrorists” and break down their operations.
When asked whether a weapons shipment intercepted by Israeli commandos in the Red Sea last Thursday was intended for the Palestinian Authority, Fleischer remarked, "Those are all questions that are being reviewed."
U.S. State Department spokesman, Richard Boucher said Hamas and other “terrorist groups” obviously opposed peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as a brighter future for the Palestinian people. "The attack is another in a series of direct challenges to the authority of Chairman Arafat and the Palestinian Authority," he claimed. "And once again, we think it makes clear that Chairman Arafat must immediately take steps against terrorist groups by arresting the leaders and dismantling terrorist infrastructure".
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell asked Yasser Arafat on Wednesday to urgently provide explanations regarding the shipment of arms seized by Israel last Thursday, according to the State Department.
"The Secretary did talk to Chairman Arafat this morning and reminded him of the seriousness that we attach to this issue and the urgent need for a full explanation," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher added.
Boucher stated that Arafat had emphasized he was not involved in the arms shipment, which Israel said was arranged by the Palestinian Authority. Boucher also conveyed that "Anything they have to say, they should say soon". (Albawaba.com)
