Jenin battle kills Jihad, Hamas chiefs, nets Fatah leader: Palestinians

AFP | 4/10/02

[kattracks]

JENIN, West Bank, April 10 (AFP) - The Israeli army killed two Islamic militant leaders in its battle to conquer Jenin refugee camp, and captured another two militant chiefs, Palestinian security officials said Wednesday.

The week-long fighting which ended Wednesday claimed the lives of local Islamic Jihad leader Mahmud Tawalbeh and the local head of Hamas's armed wing, Ibrahim Jaber, the officials said.

They also captured Atta Abu Rumeila, the leader of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement in the camp, and Abdelhalim Ezzedine, another Jihad leader.

The battle for the camp, a bastion of hardline militant grousp, cost the lives of 23 Israeli soldiers and, according to Israeli estiamtes, at least 100 Palestinians.

[Clara Lou]

Gee, I hope these losses were crippling to these terrorist organizations. (But I doubt it.)

[D-fendr]

The Palis want to wage war the easy way: send fools to blow up civilians - without any risk to the leaders.

Now, at last, they are having war, real war, brought back to them.

[mississippi red-neck]

I guess it won'tbe long before we hear demands for their release. It's ridiculous that we're demanding of Israel to withdraw and give up the land they need for a buffer zone from these murdering fanatics and all we ask of the butcher Arafat is to tell another lie.

[JAWs]

It's amazing how eager these masterminds of suicide bombings are to flee or surrender.

[princess leah]

Gee, I'm not a mathmatician, but 100-23 is like 4-1 odds isn't it? Wouldn't you be placing a big bet if you could get those odds? Put my money on Israel everytime...she'll do it with or without US backing, but it would be nice to be on the WINNING team!

[germanicus]

The IDF could easily make it 100 to 1 but they are using restraint by avoiding(as much as possible)innocent/civilian casualties, unlike their enemy who deliberately target civilians.

[sarasmom]

I am a little confused here.Didn't Arafat and his terrorists declare war on Israel almost two years ago? War is not a theatre for diplomats or politicians.They come in after the war is won.Why are the supporters of Islamic wars upset now that they have gotten what they demanded? War.Some people you can never please!