Israelis wound 15, kill one in Gaza, Palestinians say
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- An Israeli helicopter gunship early Thursday fired into a crowd in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, wounding 15 people -- four critically -- Palestinian hospital sources said.
Israeli troops in Rafah also shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian, Palestinian medical officials said.
Israeli military sources acknowledged an ongoing "pinpointed operation" by Israel Defense Forces and border police in the Rafah area to uncover tunnels along the border with Egypt that they say are used for smuggling weapons into the Palestinian territories.
Israeli military sources said troops fired on an armed individual who approached them as they searched for tunnels.
The sources also said Israeli troops fired into a group of armed men after Palestinians activated four explosive devices and launched two antitank missiles at Israeli forces.
According to Palestinian security sources, Israeli tanks and armored vehicles entered Rafah late Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli forces dismantled two uninhabited illegal Jewish settlement outposts, military sources said.
Israeli soldiers and policemen scuffled with and arrested seven settlers at the Havat Maon outpost near Hebron.
The forces also tore down an empty building at the Havat Shaked outpost in the Nablus area.
Bush endorses Sharon plan
President Bush on Wednesday endorsed an Israeli plan to pull back from Gaza and part of the West Bank.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government proposes a "disengagement" plan that includes a provision for Israel to pull out all Jewish settlements and troops from Gaza and all but six blocs of Jewish settlements from the West Bank.
Palestinian officials expressed outrage.
Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said that allowing some Israeli settlements to remain in the West Bank would be "a severe blow to the peace process."
"I don't think that Israelis should be rewarded [for] illegal practices of stealing Palestinian land," Erakat said in Ramallah, West Bank. (Full story)
