19 Palestinians die in Gaza violence
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - January 15, 2008 Palestinian sniper fire across the border killed a 19-year-old
volunteer from Ecuador at an Israeli communal farm.
That death, and the killing of Hussam Zahar, 24, the son of
hardline Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar, threatened to fuel the
violence at a time when Israel and the Palestinians are trying to
move peacemaking into high gear.
At the morgue at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Mahmoud Zahar held
his lifeless son's bloodied head in his hands and closed his eyes,
then kissed him three times on the forehead and recited verses from
the Muslim holy book, the Quran.
Zahar's eldest son was killed in a botched Israeli assassination
attempt against the Hamas leader in 2003. Israeli Deputy Defense
Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio that Hussam Zahar, who is
survived by a brother and four sisters, was not targeted by Israeli
forces.
Hamas, Zahar vowed, will respond to Tuesday's raid "in the
appropriate way. We will defend ourselves by all means." Zahar is
widely viewed as the mastermind of Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza,
in which vastly outnumbered fighters from the Islamic group routed
Fatah security forces.
Hamas immediately stepped up its involvement in the daily
barrage of rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, claiming to
have fired 17 mortars at two small border crossings with Israel and
three rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot. Israel said two
rockets were fired at the town, a frequent target.
Four people were lightly injured in the attacks, including a
7-year-old girl and her mother, Israeli rescue officials said.
Zahar accused the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas
of the rival Fatah movement, of complicity in his son's death for
negotiating with Israel.
"This is the hope of Abu Mazen and his colleagues, the
collaborators with Israel and the spies of America," Zahar said,
referring to Abbas by his nickname.
Abbas, who has no influence in Gaza, condemned the Israeli raid:
"It is impossible to bring peace under these circumstances."
The clashes Tuesday began when undercover Israeli troops moved
several hundred yards into the territory to strike an abandoned
house east of Gaza City that militants used to launch rockets,
Hamas said.
When Palestinian militants discovered the force, an exchange of
fire erupted, the militants said. In the ensuing clashes, Israeli
tanks fired shells and aircraft struck twice, Hamas said.
"Israel is acting to protect its civilian population from these
daily rocket barrages," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev
said.
In all, 16 Palestinian fighters and three civilians, including a
65-year-old man, were killed by the time the operation wound up in
early afternoon, militants and doctors said. Forty-eight people
were wounded, among them an 8-year-old boy who was seriously hurt,
medical officials said.
Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of the Gaza Health Ministry said many of
the dead and wounded lost limbs. Because of the high number of
casualties, Hassanain questioned whether Israeli troops were using
tank-fired flechette shells, an anti-personnel weapon that throws
out thousands of metal darts.
The military had no immediate comment on whether such munitions
were used.
Shifa Hospital put out a radio call for blood donations because
of the large number of wounded.
The Hamas government called a three-day mourning period, and
ordered flags on all government buildings to be lowered to half
staff. Hamas called for a general strike in Gaza and the West Bank
on Wednesday to protest the heavy number of deaths.
In the course of the fighting, a Palestinian sniper fired from
the border area into Israel, killing a volunteer from Ecuador who
was working in a potato field at a communal farm, or kibbutz,
Israeli officials said.
Hamas' military wing claimed responsiblity.
"The shooting of the Ecuadoran youth demonstrates the necessity
of the defensive measures the military is carrying out with
pinpoint operations," Israeli military spokeswoman Maj. Avital
Leibovich said.
Dozens of acres of farmlands planted with olive trees,
cucumbers, tomatoes and squash were destroyed during the operation.
The used car market in Gaza was struck by three tanks shells that
damaged two buildings.
Israel has been cracking down on Gaza militants who bombard
southern Israel with rockets and mortars and attack troops along
the border, even as it seeks peace with Abbas' West Bank-based
government.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert suggested Israel
would not launch a broad operation in Gaza, despite Defense
Minister Ehud Barak's repeated assertions that a large-scale strike
was inevitable.