Posted on 04/28/2002 9:20:10 AM PDT by Maelstrom
Palestinians Dressed As Israeli Troops Kill 4
House-to-house W. Bank attacks sap peace plan
By TRACY CONNOR
Daily News Staff Writer
Palestinians disguised as Israeli soldiers machine-gunned Israeli settlers in their homes yesterday — killing four people, including a 5-year-old girl shot dead in front of her mother and brothers.
The attack, the bloodiest in the West Bank since the Israel offensive began last month, started when the assailants cut fences to the Adora settlement near Hebron and slipped inside.
Armed with M-16 and Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles, the attackers were dressed in olive-green uniforms and flak jackets and were clean-shaven — in an apparent attempt to look like Israeli troops.
"We thought they were ours," said a dazed elderly man.
The killers went from house to house, shooting through windows or entering to kill people in their beds.
Barge Into Bedroom
One gunman barged into the bedroom where Shiri Shefi, 29, was resting with her three young children and opened fire on the family.
The terrified mother pushed her bleeding kids under the bed to protect them.
But 5-year-old Danielle was hit and died instantly. Her mother and brothers, ages 2 and 4, were wounded in the ambush — which left toys splattered with blood and the children's policeman father in shock.
"Anyone capable of looking a 4-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl in the face and then shooting them is not human," said the distraught dad, Yaacov Shefi.
He said he raced home from a synagogue where he was praying when he heard the shooting and came face to face with two of the killers.
"I thought they were soldiers," he said. "I asked them 'What's happening? Is everything all right?' They opened fire at me."
He told the Jerusalem Post he later saw his wife being carried out of their house on a stretcher.
"They murdered our children," she called out to him.
Another gunman broke into the home of Katya and Vladimir Greenberg, and sprayed bullets across their second-floor bedroom.
Mom Killed, Son Wounded
Katya, 45, was killed and her husband and 14-year-old son were wounded. The other slain settlers were identified as Arik Becker, 22, and Yaacov Katz, 51.
Two other people, including Anat Harari, 41, were wounded.
"I was standing in the kitchen and on the other side of the window I saw a young 18-year-old wearing an Army uniform and flak jacket," she said.
"He shot me and I crawled into the bathroom."
The three gunmen escaped, but Israeli officials said one of them was shot dead in a nearby Arab village during a sweep launched after the shooting.
Gen. Ben Avraham said the gunmen were methodical.
"The raid was quite carefully planned," he said. "Maybe they had some observation before because they knew what they were doing."
Talks Resume
In other developments, the two sides agreed to resume talks to end the 25-day standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity — where an Israel sniper wounded a Palestinian yesterday.
A UN fact-finding team is scheduled to arrive in Israel today to determine whether Israeli troops massacred civilians in the Jenin refugee camp, as Palestinians claim.
The Israelis, who say they killed Palestinian fighters in a fierce battle, deny the charge and want the UN team to examine the Palestinians' use of suicide attacks.
With News Wire Services
Original Publication Date: 4/28/02
Probably the French ambassador to England, or the French FM will comment on it shortly ...
The Saudi prince decided to remain in the U.S. today to delay an Israeli response.
Everybody knows that Islam is a religion of peace
BUMP
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.