Ten dead in worst day since Aqaba summit (IDF, Machpela Cave Killings update)

The Jersusalem Post ^ | June 8, 2003 | MARGOT DUDKEVITCH

[Land_of_Lincoln_John]

Five Israelis and five Palestinians were killed Sunday in two Palestinian-initiated attacks on Israeli targets in, the first at an IDF post near the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip, and later at the Machpela Cave in Hebron on the West Bank.

Four IDF soldiers were killed and four were wounded early Sunday after three Palestinian terrorists disguised as Israeli soldiers infiltrated an IDF outpost near the Erez checkpoint in the Gaza Strip.

According to a senior IDF officer in the Gaza Strip, the three gunmen, members of the Islamic Jihad, Hamas and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, arrived at the Erez crossing together with other Palestinian workers who were on their way to work in Israel.

Israel had recently allowed more Palestinians to enter Israel to seek work, a step designed to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people, and a step along the 'road map' to peace.

At a certain point, the gunmen left the group, climbed a concrete wall of the nearby Erez industrial zone and hid in a factory, where they changed into IDF uniforms and set out to attack the outpost.

The terrorists infiltrated the IDF outpost around 6 a.m. opening fire and throwing grenades, killing the permanent force soldier who was working on a tank at the time. Two soldiers guarding the main gate were killed very shortly after.

Other troops at the outpost, upon hearing the gunfire, arrived at the scene of the attack, but some confusion reigned because the terrorists were wearing IDF uniforms. After identifying the gunmen, the soldiers engaged them. After a twenty-minute gunfight, in which another soldier was killed and four others wounded, the soldiers shot and killed the terrorists.

Three of the dead Israelis were soldiers serving in the reserves and one of the soldiers was a non-commissioned officer.

The four soldiers killed were identified as Sergeant-Major Boaz Emete, 23, from Beit Shean; Sgt.-Maj. Assaf Aburjil, 23, and Sgt.-Maj. Udi Aeyelet, 37, both from Eilat; and Sgt.-Maj. Chen Enjil, 31, from Ramat Gan.

Anjel was serving reserve duty. He will be laid to rest Monday at 13:30 pm in the military cemetery in Nes Ziona.

Emete is to be buried at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in the Beit Shean military cemetery.

Sgt.-Maj. Assaf Aburjil will be laid to rest at 22:00 pm in Eilat's military cemetery.

Duct tape and handcuffs were found on the bodies of the Palestinian gunmen, Army Radio said. The radio also reported that the IDF has not ruled out the possibility that the gunmen had intended to kidnap the soldiers with the aim of swapping them for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The Islamic Jihad, Fatah and the Hamas issued a joint statement claiming responsibility for the attack.

A leaflet gave the names of the gunmen, all in their early 20s, one from each group.

"This joint operation was committed to confirm our people's united choice of holy war and resistance until the end of occupation over our land and holy places," the leaflet said.

Later Sunday, an Israeli was killed when two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on him near the Machpela Cave in the West Bank city of Hebron. The Palestinians were themselves killed a short while later by return fire from soldiers in the area. The gunmen shot at the Israeli from the area of Hebron's Kasbah (old city).

Some areas in Hebron, including the old city, have been placed under curfew by the IDF. The IDF's Hebron commander said that a decision had been made to stop all Muslim prayer at the Machpela Cave due to the fact that the two Palestinian terrorists who shot a Border Police officer earlier Sunday morning had blended in with the stream of Palestinian worshippers and had carried out their attack disguised as beggars.

The IDF commander, Lt.-Col. Doron from the Nahal Brigades, said that the decision to stop Muslims from praying at the site was a necessary one in order to stop attacks.

Sharon adviser Dore Gold said Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas had committed himself to an immediate halt to attacks on Israelis as called for in the road map, yet the attacks have not stopped.

"This must come to an end," he said. Following the Gaza attack the Transportation Ministry issued an order closing the Erez crossing, which is used by Palestinian workers entering Israel. Already before the attack several thousand Palestinians had already entered Israel via the crossing.

Reports said that a heavy fog in the area apparently served as a cover for the gunmen as they approached the outpost.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz reinstated a closure on the territories late Saturday night, due to warnings of plans to carry out terror attacks, following Hamas' rejection of Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' ceasefire bid.

Palestinian sources said that the two Palestinian gunmen killed in an exchange of fire with the IDF Sunday night in Hebron were the same gunmen who had earlier in the day shot and lightly wounded a Border Police officer, also near the Machpela Cave.

The officer was transferred to Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital and security forces were conducting searches for the gunman.

Initial reports indicated that the gunman had intended to enter the Machpela Cave, a holy Jewish site, and carry out a shooting attack there, Army Radio reported.

According to the radio, border policeman at the entrance to the site stopped the gunman in order to inspect him. The radio said that once the gunman realized that he would not be able to enter the cave to carry out the attack, he opened fire at the officers manning the entrance to the site, injuring the border policeman.

The violence came just four days after US President George W. Bush launched the "road map" peace plan at a summit in Jordan with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in an atmosphere of hope, with statements renouncing violence and working for reconciliation.

Previous peace plans have drowned in floods of violence, and US Secretary Colin Powell found it necessary Sunday to appeal to the two sides not to let it happen again. "What we have to do now is to make sure we don't allow this tragic, terrible incident to derail the momentum of the road map," Powell said on "Fox News Sunday," referring to the Gaza attack.

[Camel Joe]

Perhaps we can avoid a civil war by going in ourselves and disarming the scum. Arafat can get a one way ticket to Camp Gitmo and I will never have to look at him again. He is the head of the snake that terrorizes the region. At this point I wish the Israelis should just kill him and be done with it.

[section9]

This will occur as long as Palestinians and Israelis can so easily mix with each other. Israel's presence in the West Bank invites Palestinian gastarbeiters to become a much more important factor in the Israeli economy. This will create a dependent relationship on Palestinian labor, the last thing that Israel needs.

Israel must quit the West Bank and Gaza and allow the Pallies to descend into their own, inevitable fascist squalor. They cannot remake the Arab political character, nor impose self-criticism on an enormously myopic political culture.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[sheik yerbouty]

I used to think Baruch Goldstein was a maniac. Now I think otherwise.