Four Palestinians were killed in a major Israel army operation in the West Bank city of Ramallah that was slammed by the Palestinians as impeding efforts to restart the stalled Middle East peace process.
Yussef Abdel Khader, 23, Khalil al-Badawi, 20, Ala al-Himran in his 20s, and Jamal Jawela, 29, were mortally wounded in gunfire that erupted after more than a dozen jeeps and several bulldozers, backed up by two helicopters, rolled into the center of the city.
The four later died of their wounds in hospital, medics said. More than 20 people were wounded as a result, and three remained in critical condition in Ramallah hospitals.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said that forces had conducted an arrest operation and detained "four wanted Palestinians." She declined to provide other details.
The incursion came as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was headed to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for talks on restarting the Middle East peace process with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas slammed the operation, warning that it endangered efforts to restart the dormant peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians.
"The operation proves that Israeli calls for peace and security are false," Abbas said in a statement.
"The Palestinian people calls on the international community, United Nations Security Council and the international Quartet (for Middle East peace) to restrain Israeli aggressions that are torpedoing the establishment of a durable peace," he said.
From Voices of Palestine
No comments:
Post a Comment