Israeli Tanks Enter Jenin

25/10/2002| IslamWeb

Hundreds of occupation soldiers backed by scores of heavy military vehicles entered the West Bank city of Jenin early on Friday as Israel retaliated for a resistance car bombing that killed 14 Israelis earlier this week. A senior Israeli commander said the operation, dubbed "Vanguard," was aimed at rooting out some 20 resistance activists in the city of some 250,000.
Israel initially held back retaliation, apparently at the request of the United States, which is seeking to avoid a flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict out of concern it could jeopardize Arab support for any strike in Iraq.

The raid into Jenin came just hours after U.S. envoy William Burns met with Palestinian and Israeli officials in what seemed to be an almost futile attempt to halt violence which has raged since the Palestinian uprising for independence started in September 2000. He is due to hold more talks on Friday.

Palestinian witnesses in the city said about 150 foot occupation soldiers had surrounded a home and were ramming the door. They reported no exchange of gunfire.

The witnesses added that they expected the army to demolish two homes in the area belonging to Palestinian resistance that Israel blames for this week's bombing. The families have already evacuated those homes, they said.

The occupation army also took over dozens of houses, setting up stake-outs to respond to any fire on occupation army vehicles traveling on the street, witnesses said. The owners and families of the homes were isolated and could not immediately talk to reporters.

Just last week, Israel pulled its forces out of the center of Jenin and lifted a curfew in response to what it said was relative quiet.

EXPECTATIONS LOW FOR BURNS VISIT

Israeli occupation troops moved into Jenin several hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with Burns to discuss a U.S. proposed peace plan in Jerusalem on Thursday evening.

Both Israelis and Palestinians voiced reservations about the staged plan.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer stressed in a statement issued after his meeting with Burns "that Israel maintains its right to defend itself and will not agree to limitations on that score by any particular 'roadmap'."

Burns refused to see Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, in keeping with U.S. policy to ostracize him because of Washington's view he has not done enough to stop violence.

Instead, Burns, an assistant secretary of state, met a senior delegation including Palestinian parliament speaker Ahmed Korei and cabinet ministers.

Korei hinted afterwards the plan -- drafted by the "quartet" of mediators from the United States, Russia, The European Union and the United Nations -- was too vague to succeed.

PHOTO CAPTION

Medics wheel into a hospital the body of slain Palestinian youth Ahmad Jafar, 15, who, according to Palestinian witnesses, was shot when Israeli occupation soldiers inside an armored troop carrier fired on a crowd of rock-throwing Palestinian protesters, in the West Bank city of Jenin, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002.. (AP Photo/Mohamad Balas)
- Oct 24 1:12 PM