Summing Up of Israel Hit on Gaza
Israel hits Gaza as Hamas lawmakers held
Palestinian militants blow hole in fence on Gaza-Egypt border
Israeli soldiers deploy Thursday near
Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside northern Gaza.
June 29, 2006
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel rounded up members of the Hamas-led Palestinian government Thursday, arresting Cabinet ministers and parliament members as a crisis over the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier deepened.
The Palestine Liberation Organization said 84 people had been arrested, including seven Cabinet officials and 21 members of the Palestinian parliament.
The Israel Defense Forces said 87 people were arrested overnight. Of those, it said, 64 were members of Hamas. Another 23 belong to other factions.
The arrests came amid a military operation launched by Israel in response to the kidnapping by Palestinian militants of Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
"They have to decide if they're a government or if they belong to a terroristic organization," Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said, explaining the Hamas arrests.
"Their arrests were not arbitrary. They will be put to trial, and they will be able to defend themselves in accordance with a legal system which is internationally recognized."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat denounced the arrest of the Palestinian government officials.
"Kidnapping Palestinian lawmakers and holding the Palestinian government hostage will neither strengthen Israel's hand in bargaining [for the soldier's release] nor bring any good to anyone in the region," Erakat said.
Israeli officials said the Palestinians were under arrest as suspected terrorists. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the arrests were planned weeks ago but received approval from Israel's attorney general Wednesday.
As part of Thursday's operations, the IDF also said it had attacked a car in Gaza City. Islamic Jihad sources said the car was carrying members of the Palestinian militant group. One person in the vehicle was injured, the sources said.
The IDF also said it was attacking areas in southern Gaza "in which terror cells" operate to "impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped IDF soldier."
Meanwhile, Palestinian militants blew a hole in the fence along the Gaza border with Egypt, Palestinian sources said, and Palestinians were rushing to get through Thursday.
Security forces reportedly were trying to reseal the border. Israel sealed all border crossings Monday.
Settler's body found
Early Thursday, a body found near the West Bank city of Ramallah was reported to be that of Eliyahu Yitzhak Asheri, 18, a settler seized by Palestinian militants hours after Shalit's kidnapping Sunday, Israeli security sources said.
The body was sent to the Pathological Institute in Israel for formal identification, sources said. Wednesday, the Popular Resistance Committees displayed the identity card of the Jewish settler and said the captive would be "butchered" unless Israel stopped its incursion into Gaza.
The body's discovery was the latest in a series of events that began early Sunday, when Palestinian militants tunneled into Israel and attacked a military post near Israel's border with Egypt and Gaza, kidnapping Shalit and killing two other soldiers.
Israeli intelligence indicates Shalit is being held in the Khan Yunis refugee camp. An Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis targeted what the Israeli military said was a storehouse for Qassam rockets.
Israeli warplanes have knocked out bridges connecting northern and southern Gaza and destroyed a power station in an effort to prevent militants from moving the captured soldier outside southern Gaza, according to the IDF.
On Monday, three Palestinian militant groups -- the military wing of Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees and the previously unknown Army of Islam -- claimed responsibility for Shalit's kidnapping. They issued a statement saying they would exchange information about the soldier if Israel freed all Palestinian women and youths under 18 who are in Israeli jails.
The Israeli government quickly rejected that offer and other calls to release Shalit as part of a prisoner exchange.
Pressure on Syria
On Wednesday evening, Israeli jets buzzed the home of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Ladekye, outside Damascus. Israeli television reported that the president was at home at the time.
Peres complained that Syria allowed the exiled Hamas political leader Khalid Meshaal -- operating out of Damascus -- to order the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier.
The flyover was seen as an attempt to bring pressure on al-Assad to rein in Meshaal.
Syrian state television called the Israeli move "an unacceptable, hostile and provocative act."
Syria said its anti-aircraft batteries fired on the Israeli warplanes and chased them away.
Update:
Israel seizes Hamas leaders
Hamas legislators heading for hideouts
Israel Seizes Hamas Ministers and Lawmakers
Palestinian militants blow hole in fence on Gaza-Egypt border
Israeli soldiers deploy Thursday near
Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside northern Gaza.
June 29, 2006
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel rounded up members of the Hamas-led Palestinian government Thursday, arresting Cabinet ministers and parliament members as a crisis over the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier deepened.
The Palestine Liberation Organization said 84 people had been arrested, including seven Cabinet officials and 21 members of the Palestinian parliament.
The Israel Defense Forces said 87 people were arrested overnight. Of those, it said, 64 were members of Hamas. Another 23 belong to other factions.
The arrests came amid a military operation launched by Israel in response to the kidnapping by Palestinian militants of Israeli soldier Cpl. Gilad Shalit.
"They have to decide if they're a government or if they belong to a terroristic organization," Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said, explaining the Hamas arrests.
"Their arrests were not arbitrary. They will be put to trial, and they will be able to defend themselves in accordance with a legal system which is internationally recognized."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat denounced the arrest of the Palestinian government officials.
"Kidnapping Palestinian lawmakers and holding the Palestinian government hostage will neither strengthen Israel's hand in bargaining [for the soldier's release] nor bring any good to anyone in the region," Erakat said.
Israeli officials said the Palestinians were under arrest as suspected terrorists. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the arrests were planned weeks ago but received approval from Israel's attorney general Wednesday.
As part of Thursday's operations, the IDF also said it had attacked a car in Gaza City. Islamic Jihad sources said the car was carrying members of the Palestinian militant group. One person in the vehicle was injured, the sources said.
The IDF also said it was attacking areas in southern Gaza "in which terror cells" operate to "impair the ability of the terrorists to transfer the kidnapped IDF soldier."
Meanwhile, Palestinian militants blew a hole in the fence along the Gaza border with Egypt, Palestinian sources said, and Palestinians were rushing to get through Thursday.
Security forces reportedly were trying to reseal the border. Israel sealed all border crossings Monday.
Settler's body found
Early Thursday, a body found near the West Bank city of Ramallah was reported to be that of Eliyahu Yitzhak Asheri, 18, a settler seized by Palestinian militants hours after Shalit's kidnapping Sunday, Israeli security sources said.
The body was sent to the Pathological Institute in Israel for formal identification, sources said. Wednesday, the Popular Resistance Committees displayed the identity card of the Jewish settler and said the captive would be "butchered" unless Israel stopped its incursion into Gaza.
The body's discovery was the latest in a series of events that began early Sunday, when Palestinian militants tunneled into Israel and attacked a military post near Israel's border with Egypt and Gaza, kidnapping Shalit and killing two other soldiers.
Israeli intelligence indicates Shalit is being held in the Khan Yunis refugee camp. An Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis targeted what the Israeli military said was a storehouse for Qassam rockets.
Israeli warplanes have knocked out bridges connecting northern and southern Gaza and destroyed a power station in an effort to prevent militants from moving the captured soldier outside southern Gaza, according to the IDF.
On Monday, three Palestinian militant groups -- the military wing of Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees and the previously unknown Army of Islam -- claimed responsibility for Shalit's kidnapping. They issued a statement saying they would exchange information about the soldier if Israel freed all Palestinian women and youths under 18 who are in Israeli jails.
The Israeli government quickly rejected that offer and other calls to release Shalit as part of a prisoner exchange.
Pressure on Syria
On Wednesday evening, Israeli jets buzzed the home of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Ladekye, outside Damascus. Israeli television reported that the president was at home at the time.
Peres complained that Syria allowed the exiled Hamas political leader Khalid Meshaal -- operating out of Damascus -- to order the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier.
The flyover was seen as an attempt to bring pressure on al-Assad to rein in Meshaal.
Syrian state television called the Israeli move "an unacceptable, hostile and provocative act."
Syria said its anti-aircraft batteries fired on the Israeli warplanes and chased them away.
Update:
Israel seizes Hamas leaders
Hamas legislators heading for hideouts
Israel Seizes Hamas Ministers and Lawmakers
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 6:39 PM
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