MATT DRUDGE // DRUDGE REPORT 2002�
26 Palestinians Killed, 80 Injured in 24 Hours in Israeli
Attacks
Thu Mar 07 2002 14:28:26 ET
GAZA, March 7 (Xinhua)--At least 26 Palestinians were killed and 80 others injured within less than 24 hours during Israel's intense air, ground and sea military operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said Thursday.
Fifteen Palestinians were killed on Wednesday and 11 more died on Thursday in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, said the sources, adding that most of them were killed during ground and sea raids.
After Palestinian militants carried out a series of armed attacks against Israel earlier this week, during which at least 26 Israelis were killed, the Israeli government decided to intensify its offensive on the Palestinian territories.
Israel's F-16 warplanes, Apache helicopters, tanks and naval boats launched attacks on Gaza and the West Bank over the last four days, killing dozens of Palestinians and causing massive damages to Palestinian security installations.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told reporters after meeting earlier Thursday with European Union Mideast envoy Miguel Moratinos that the Israeli offensive ;would never terrify the Palestinian people.''
''Our people are as strong as mountains and nothing could shake them,'' said Arafat, adding that ;Israel is mistaken if it believes that it can frighten the Palestinians with F-16s, tanks, rockets and Apache helicopters.''
Two missiles fired by Israeli helicopter gunships attacked a Palestinian security building adjacent to Arafat's Ramallah office where he was meeting with Moratinos Wednesday night.
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