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Israel fires missiles after gaza blast { June 27 2004 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/international/middleeast/27CND-MIDE.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/international/middleeast/27CND-MIDE.html
June 27, 2004
Israel Fires Missiles at Gaza After Blast
By JOSEPH BERGER and GREG MYRE
GUSH KATIF, Gaza Strip, Monday, June 28 — Palestinians set off a powerful bomb on Sunday night in a lengthy tunnel they dug under an Israeli military base in the southern Gaza Strip, wounding at least five soldiers, a military official said.
In the early hours of Monday, Israel's air force hit back with a missile strike against a metal workshop in Gaza City, according to Palestinian security officials. Israel has frequently targeted workshops it says are used to make weapons. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israel's prime minister, Ariel Sharon, is seeking to withdraw Israeli soldiers and settlers from Gaza by the end of next year. The Sunday night bombing was not expected to change those plans, though Israel has said it is prepared to hit back hard at Palestinian factions involved in violence in advance of any withdrawal.
The bomb blast at the Gush Katif Junction brought down part of a concrete building at the Orkhan military base set amid sand dunes. After several weeks of relative calm, the blast marked one of the most serious and unusual Palestinian attacks recently.
As soldiers and rescue workers scrambled to reach the wounded, Palestinian gunmen opened fire on the base from a nearby Palestinian community, the military said.
During a heavy exchange of fire, two Palestinians, a 15-year-old boy and a police officer, were killed in the Palestinian town of Khan Yunis, The Associated Press reported, citing Palestinian medical workers.
In addition to the five Israeli soldiers wounded in the bombing, there were unconfirmed reports in the Israeli media that one soldier was killed, but the military declined to comment.
Two Palestinian factions, Hamas and Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, calling it revenge for a number of Israeli actions, including air strikes that killed the Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin, in March, and his successor, Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, in April.
Hamas said that its members dug a 350-yard tunnel to reach the army post, which sits on the edge of the Gush Katif settlement bloc.
It was not clear where the tunnel began, though a Palestinian flour factory and at least two multi-story Palestinian homes are nearby.
A powerful blast rocked the area about 10 p.m., and the Israeli media cited witnesses who reported hearing a second explosion as well.
"It has taken quite a number of days to build this tunnel," said Gen. Shumel Zakai, an Israeli commander in Gaza.
In recent months, the Israeli military has carried out a series of deadly strikes against Palestinians on Israel's most-wanted list, included Sheik Yassin and Dr. Rantisi.
Israel claimed another military success on Saturday when it killed seven Palestinian militants, including three senior figures, who were hiding in a small tunnel underneath a home in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Palestinian factions have vowed to unleash an "earthquake" against Israel, but the Israeli security forces have thwarted numerous attempted attacks in recent months.
The Palestinians have not carried out a suicide bombing in three and a half months, the longest stretch between such attacks since the violence began in September 2000.
However, Gaza has been the scene of frequent violence in recent months despite Mr. Sharon's plan to remove Israeli soldiers and settlers from the coastal territory.
Palestinians killed 13 Israeli soldiers in Gaza in heavy fighting last month. Israel also carried out a weeklong incursion in May in Rafah, in southern Gaza, in search of weapons smuggling tunnels. More than 40 Palestinians, militants and civilians, were killed during that Israeli operation.
In Nablus, meanwhile, Palestinians clogged the streets for a mass funeral on Sunday morning, chanting "revenge, revenge," in response to Israel's killing of seven militants a day earlier.
Israeli security forces set their sights on Nablus last week after arresting three young men from the area who were suspected of planning a suicide bombing in Jerusalem.
An interrogation indicated the plot was orchestrated by Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades in Nablus, the military said. On Thursday, hundreds of Israeli troops sealed off the city center and searched for militants, including Nayef Abu Sharkh, a senior figure in Al Aksa, a group linked to the Fatah movement of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat.
Israel's military passed out leaflets with Mr. Sharkh's photo, which read, "You can help the citizens of your city by preventing the activity of this terrorist who is hiding like a terrified rat."
On Saturday, the Israel forces found Mr. Sharkh, apparently by accident.
A group of soldiers encountered two armed Palestinians, shooting one dead and chasing the other into the hideout beneath a home tucked deep inside the maze-like Old City, or casbah, the military reported.
The soldiers hurled hand grenades and smoke grenades into the tunnel, and shortly afterward, a suspected militant emerged from the other end of the passageway, which was attached to a neighboring house, the military said.
The troops called for anyone inside to come out, and when no one responded, the soldiers tossed more grenades into the passageway. All inside were killed.
The dead included Mr. Sharkh, along with Jaffer Masri, a local commander for Hamas, and Fathi Bahti, a leader of Islamic Jihad, who was also known as Sheik Ibrahim.
Israel accused Mr. Sharkh of orchestrating multiple attacks, including a suicide bombing that killed 23 people last year in Tel Aviv.
Nablus residents flocked to the small stone house on Sunday to see the tiny hiding space beneath a tile floor. The men had been laying on dirt and stones, remnants of an earlier house that served as the foundation for the present one.
"Our dear brothers were in the tunnel for 72 hours, drinking only water and eating dates," said an Al Aksa leader who gave only his nom de guerre, Abu Islam.
Israel pulled its troops out of the center of Nablus early Sunday, but said it would continue searching for militants in the area as part of its Operation Full Court Press.
Joseph Berger reported from Gush Katif and Greg Myre reported from Jerusalem for this article.
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
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