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popo · 10-04-2003, 03:15 PM

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/in...st/04ISRA.html

Israeli Officer Is Charged in 4 Killings in West Bank
By GREG MYRE

Published: October 4, 2003

JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 — The Israeli military has filed manslaughter charges against an army officer in the killing of four Palestinians, including three children, at an outdoor food market last year, the army said Friday. The indictment says the four were killed when the officer, identified only as a lieutenant, ordered the firing of tank shells and machine guns to enforce a curfew.

Palestinians and human rights groups have accused Israeli troops of unprovoked shootings of civilians during the past three years of fighting, but say such cases are seldom investigated.

B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, said this case was the ninth time in the past three years that the military had indicted troops on charges of illegally using deadly force. The cases are at various stages in Israel's military courts, and none have been resolved, the group said.

In the latest indictment, the Israeli officer is accused of ordering tank crews to fire shells and machine guns to drive Palestinians off the street during a curfew on June 21, 2002, in Jenin, in the northern West Bank.

The shooting killed a 6-year-old girl, Sojud Shohaneh, along with two boys, brothers ages 13 and 5, and a 53-year-old man. Five Palestinians were hurt, three of them children.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._nm/mideast_dc

Palestinian Woman Suicide Bomber Kills 19 in Israel
1 hour, 11 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!

By Matt Spetalnick

HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up in a busy restaurant in the Israeli city of Haifa on Saturday, killing 19 people including three children and sparking new calls in Israel to exile Yasser Arafat (news - web sites).

The attack just before the Yom Kippur fast day provoked an international outcry and Israeli government ministers demanded action to remove the Palestinian president. Palestinian leaders appealed to the world to prevent any assault to remove him.

The Islamic Jihad movement said it was behind the attack, in which the bomber struck as families sat down for lunch on the Jewish sabbath at the Maxim restaurant, owned by a Christian Arab and a Jewish family and frequented by Arabs and Jews.

"Suddenly we heard a tremendous explosion. We saw smoke pour out of the restaurant and the windows shattered," said witness Navon Hai. "There wasn't much we could do. Families were dead around the tables, there were children without limbs."

Wires and roofing material were left dangling. Windows were shattered on all sides of the restaurant and shoes and bloody clothing littered a nearby parking lot. Dazed people wandered around in swimming trunks after leaving the beach.

The bomber's severed head with a long mane of dark hair lay on the floor in the center of the restaurant, surrounded by other body parts and bloody clothes. A black and white checkered baby carriage stood amid the wreckage.

Police said the dead included three children and a security guard, and that about 50 people were wounded. A number of Israeli Arabs were also thought to be among the dead.

Islamic Jihad named the bomber as Hanadi Tayseer Jaradat, 29, from the West Bank city of Jenin. It said she was avenging the killing of her brother and cousin, Islamic Jihad members, by Israel in the three-year-old Palestinian uprising for statehood.

The Israeli army said she was the fifth women to carry out a suicide bombing since the revolt began.

FIRST BOMBING IN WEEKS

The attack dealt a new blow to a stalled U.S.-backed peace "road map." It was the first since twin attacks killed 15 people on September 9 and the first since Israel's cabinet decided in principle on September 11 to "remove" Arafat.

The bombing followed an increase in tension this week after Israel decided to build a new stage of its barrier with the West Bank which will cut deep into Palestinian territory.

Arafat condemned the attack and said it would give Israel a pretext to obstruct international peace efforts.

Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurie, whose government is obliged to rein in militants under the road map, urged militants to "fully halt these actions that target civilians."

"That is too little and too late," said Jonathan Peled, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, demanding action not words.

Israel blamed Arafat for the violence and is likely to mount a tough response to the suicide bombing. "Arafat has become a living obstacle to peace. It is imperative that we get rid of him," Israeli Science Minister Eliezer Sandberg told Reuters.

"If Israel reaches the conclusion that it must take serious action, it will have to do it and the world will have to accept it," said Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (news - web sites)'s executive committee appealed to the world not to permit an Israeli assault to prise Arafat out of his West Bank headquarters, urging it to prevent any "crimes...against President Arafat personally."

About 30 Arafat supporters including some foreigners later went to his compound in the city of Ramallah to act as "human shields," witnesses said.

President Bush (news - web sites) said the attack was despicable. He urged the Palestinians "to fight terror, which remains the foremost obstacle to achieving the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security."

Britain, France and Germany also condemned the bombing. The United Nations (news - web sites) said such attacks harmed the Palestinian cause.

The Palestinians say it is hard to end violence when Israel continues to track and kill militants in air strikes and keeps in place army blockades that restrict Palestinians' movement.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops shot dead a militant and a nine-year-old boy in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank. Israeli military sources confirmed the death of the militant but said they had no reports of a boy being killed.

10-04-2003, 03:15 PM	#1 (permalink)
popo Psycho	Day of extreme contrast in Middle East http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/04/in...st/04ISRA.html Israeli Officer Is Charged in 4 Killings in West Bank By GREG MYRE Published: October 4, 2003 JERUSALEM, Oct. 3 — The Israeli military has filed manslaughter charges against an army officer in the killing of four Palestinians, including three children, at an outdoor food market last year, the army said Friday. The indictment says the four were killed when the officer, identified only as a lieutenant, ordered the firing of tank shells and machine guns to enforce a curfew. Palestinians and human rights groups have accused Israeli troops of unprovoked shootings of civilians during the past three years of fighting, but say such cases are seldom investigated. B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, said this case was the ninth time in the past three years that the military had indicted troops on charges of illegally using deadly force. The cases are at various stages in Israel's military courts, and none have been resolved, the group said. In the latest indictment, the Israeli officer is accused of ordering tank crews to fire shells and machine guns to drive Palestinians off the street during a curfew on June 21, 2002, in Jenin, in the northern West Bank. The shooting killed a 6-year-old girl, Sojud Shohaneh, along with two boys, brothers ages 13 and 5, and a 53-year-old man. Five Palestinians were hurt, three of them children. ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._nm/mideast_dc Palestinian Woman Suicide Bomber Kills 19 in Israel 1 hour, 11 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Matt Spetalnick HAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew herself up in a busy restaurant in the Israeli city of Haifa on Saturday, killing 19 people including three children and sparking new calls in Israel to exile Yasser Arafat (news - web sites). The attack just before the Yom Kippur fast day provoked an international outcry and Israeli government ministers demanded action to remove the Palestinian president. Palestinian leaders appealed to the world to prevent any assault to remove him. The Islamic Jihad movement said it was behind the attack, in which the bomber struck as families sat down for lunch on the Jewish sabbath at the Maxim restaurant, owned by a Christian Arab and a Jewish family and frequented by Arabs and Jews. "Suddenly we heard a tremendous explosion. We saw smoke pour out of the restaurant and the windows shattered," said witness Navon Hai. "There wasn't much we could do. Families were dead around the tables, there were children without limbs." Wires and roofing material were left dangling. Windows were shattered on all sides of the restaurant and shoes and bloody clothing littered a nearby parking lot. Dazed people wandered around in swimming trunks after leaving the beach. The bomber's severed head with a long mane of dark hair lay on the floor in the center of the restaurant, surrounded by other body parts and bloody clothes. A black and white checkered baby carriage stood amid the wreckage. Police said the dead included three children and a security guard, and that about 50 people were wounded. A number of Israeli Arabs were also thought to be among the dead. Islamic Jihad named the bomber as Hanadi Tayseer Jaradat, 29, from the West Bank city of Jenin. It said she was avenging the killing of her brother and cousin, Islamic Jihad members, by Israel in the three-year-old Palestinian uprising for statehood. The Israeli army said she was the fifth women to carry out a suicide bombing since the revolt began. FIRST BOMBING IN WEEKS The attack dealt a new blow to a stalled U.S.-backed peace "road map." It was the first since twin attacks killed 15 people on September 9 and the first since Israel's cabinet decided in principle on September 11 to "remove" Arafat. The bombing followed an increase in tension this week after Israel decided to build a new stage of its barrier with the West Bank which will cut deep into Palestinian territory. Arafat condemned the attack and said it would give Israel a pretext to obstruct international peace efforts. Prime Minister-designate Ahmed Qurie, whose government is obliged to rein in militants under the road map, urged militants to "fully halt these actions that target civilians." "That is too little and too late," said Jonathan Peled, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, demanding action not words. Israel blamed Arafat for the violence and is likely to mount a tough response to the suicide bombing. "Arafat has become a living obstacle to peace. It is imperative that we get rid of him," Israeli Science Minister Eliezer Sandberg told Reuters. "If Israel reaches the conclusion that it must take serious action, it will have to do it and the world will have to accept it," said Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Palestine Liberation Organization (news - web sites)'s executive committee appealed to the world not to permit an Israeli assault to prise Arafat out of his West Bank headquarters, urging it to prevent any "crimes...against President Arafat personally." About 30 Arafat supporters including some foreigners later went to his compound in the city of Ramallah to act as "human shields," witnesses said. President Bush (news - web sites) said the attack was despicable. He urged the Palestinians "to fight terror, which remains the foremost obstacle to achieving the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security." Britain, France and Germany also condemned the bombing. The United Nations (news - web sites) said such attacks harmed the Palestinian cause. The Palestinians say it is hard to end violence when Israel continues to track and kill militants in air strikes and keeps in place army blockades that restrict Palestinians' movement. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops shot dead a militant and a nine-year-old boy in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the West Bank. Israeli military sources confirmed the death of the militant but said they had no reports of a boy being killed.