IDF reprisals for deadly roadblock attack kill 12 Palestinians

At least 12 Palestinians were reported killed early Wednesday in waves of air, sea and ground IDF reprisal raids launched hours after Palestinian attackers killed six soldiers at a West Bank roadblock Tuesday night.

One hour after a detachment of Israeli soldiers took over the Ramallah-area roadblock from another unit, as many as four Palestinians shot dead the soldiers and wounded a seventh, then escaped apparently unhurt to the neighboring village of Ein Arik.

An eighth Israeli soldier, a sniper on the roof of a building next to the roadblock, was uninjured in the attack, Army Radio reported, adding that it was unclear if he or any of the soldiers had opened fire on the Palestinians.

The military wing of Yasser Arafat's Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, took responsibility for the attack on the IDF roadblock. A short time later, the militant Hamas group also claimed its activists carried out the attack.

In an overnight reprisal raid, Israeli naval gunboats attacked a base of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat Force 17 personal guard at the PA's presidential compound in Gaza, killing at least four Palestinians and destroying a patrol boat of the Palestinian maritime police. IAF helicopter gunships attacked at least three other targets in Gaza, Palestinian sources reported.

Israeli commandos also participated in the raid on the Force 17 base, the radio reported.

Palestinian sources said that IDF soldiers also killed four PA security forces personnel manning a roadblock near the West Bank city of Nablus.

The army also barred the movement of Palestinians on main highways linking the West Bank cities Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Tul Karm, and on roads between those cities and adjacent villages.

"Due to the murderous attack tonight west of Ramallah in which six Israelis were killed, the army has banned Palestinian travel on the roads between the Palestinian cities Ramallah, Qalqilya, Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarm," the army said in a statement. It said travel would only be allowed for what it called humanitarian reasons.

(IsraelNN.com) Investigators are beginning to piece together the events that took place on Tuesday night at the Ein Ariq Checkpoint west of Ramallah, near the community of Talmon, that claimed the life of six combat soldiers and wounded a seventh. The eight soldiers assigned to the checkpoint escaped without physical injuries. The location of the assault is located in an area “B”, under Israeli security control.

The combat engineering corps soldiers arrived at the post about an hour ahead of the attack that occurred at 7:00pm. Authorities believe three or four terrorists perpetrated the attack although this remains uncertain at this time. The assault according to officials was well planned, based on intelligence information that indicates the terrorists were aware the soldiers had just taken responsibility for the post, replacing the veterans in the area. The assault came before the newly arrived combatants had a chance to acclimatize to their new post, leading commanders to reevaluate the protocol for operating at checkpoints throughout Yesha.

ALL THE SOLDIERS WERE HIT IN THEIR HEADS
Investigators report all the soldiers were hit by terrorist gunfire from close range, all struck in their heads. Emergency medical personnel that arrived on the scene quickly realized that there was nothing to be done for the six, all mortally wounded. Helicopters were ordered to the scene but only one soldier was transported, by ambulance, to the Tel HaShomer Hospital in Tel Aviv. The six were pronounced dead on the scene.

ALL THREE POSITIONS IN THE OUTPOST WERE MANNED
The terrorists approached from both sides of the road, opening fire at the soldiers manning the post from close range. They were killed immediately. Gunfire was then directed at the soldier near the building that housed the troops. They thought he was dead but he was the only soldier of the seven hit by gunfire to survive. The terrorists then entered the building and killed the three soldiers inside. The eighth soldier, positioned on the roof of the building, returned fire.

WOUNDED SOLDIER STILL UNDERGOING SURGERY
Physicians in Tel Aviv’s Tel HaShomer Hospital report this morning that the wounded soldier, described in moderate condition, is still undergoing surgery for the multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.

TWO GUNS STOLEN
Terrorists took the weapons of two soldiers after killing them, leaving behind one AK-47 that was recovered by investigators on the scene.

FATAH CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY
The al-Aqsa Brigade of the Fatah terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack. Fatah also claimed responsibility for a string of failed and successful suicide bombing and shooting attacks since last week that claimed the lives of many innocent persons, including the teenagers murdered on Saturday night in the Shomron community of Karnei Shomron.

RETALIATION
The IDF retaliated by air, land, and sea, striking PA targets in Ramallah, Shechem, and Gaza.

Ground forces moved into a PA village in the Shomron, near Ariel. Helicopter gunships targeted PA targets in the Shechem area as well as in Ramallah. Gaza targets were also hit by air as well as from the sea with an assault carried out by an Israeli Navy vessel.

Some of the targets hit in the retaliatory action include:
a) PA checkpoint east of Balata,
b) PA checkpoint near the village of Khalil,
c) PA checkpoint near the village of Tel,
d) PA checkpoint south of Ramallah,
e) Two Hamas terrorists were arrested southwest of Ariel together with five Arabs found with weapons,
f) 13 suspects arrested in Hevron, Bethlehem, & Ramallah areas,
g) Khan Yunis security facility,
h) Anwar-2 naval base,
i) Security facility in Gaza city,
j) PA coast guard vessel was destroyed,
k) Government building in Ramallah.

PA officials are reporting at least nine persons, including security forces, were killed in the attack. Five security forces were killed in attacks at PA checkpoints.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The investigation into the attack continues. Senior command officials have already announced earlier that the regulations governing the manning of a checkpoint would be changed. Following the murder of a Sgt. Lee Nachman Akonis at a Surda checkpoint on Friday night, an order was handed down that soldiers could not remain on duty at a checkpoint for more than four hours. The order came after it was learned the three soldiers at the checkpoint did not respond to the attack properly, partially due to their reduced alertness that was a result of being at the checkpoint for 14 hours.

The Security Cabinet is meeting this morning following days of suicide attacks and unsuccessful attacks that have claimed 17 lives and left many wounded since Thursday night. In addition, there have been many attacks thwarted by security forces.

One of the major frustrations for the Palestinian terrorists is that they can't get Israel provoked into a full-scale invasion yet.

For the radicals in Islam, the goal right now is to get Israel to take an action so aggressive that other Arab/Persian nations have an excuse to not back the U.S. in a war against either/or/both Iraq and Iran.

But Israel won't take the bait. The tactical attacks on Israelis are met with proportional strategic responses against Palestinians, and nothing more.

Of course, the PLO/Hamas/Islamic Jihad will continue to try to provoke Israel prior to the next American attack on Iraq or Iran, but it seems unlikely that Israel will become foolish enough to take the bait.

After all, once the U.S. starts attacking Iraq or Iran, the door will be wide open for Israel to take whatever actions that it needs (such as the wholesale expulsion of Palestinians from Israel), and there won't be anything that the PLO can do about it.

Of course, as the inevitable American attack approaches, desperation will probably begin to set in to the PLO membership and close allies. The B-Team suicide bombers will be replaced by even less reliable recruits. Handgun attacks on Israeli targets will become even less successful. Demands for outside intervention will become even more stressed. They've got the losing hand, and they know it. They've been out of favor with Allah for a long time now, and that's becoming obvious to everyone.

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