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GAZA, Jan 4: Israeli bulldozers destroyed at least two buildings in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, despite US concern that Israel’s policy of house demolitions could fuel the conflict with the Palestinians.
Palestinian witnesses said armoured military bulldozers knocked down three large houses in the Rafah refugee camp, near the Israeli-controlled border with Egypt.
They said soldiers fired into the air to disperse a group of international protesters who tried to prevent the troops from entering the outskirts of the camp. There were no reports of casualties.
The army said the buildings were abandoned and had been used by Palestinian gunmen to fire anti-tank rockets and grenades at troops patrolling the border. Three Israelis were wounded in a rocket attack by Palestinian gunmen in the area on Tuesday, the army said.
The United States, Israel’s guardian ally, on Friday joined a chorus of international criticism at Israel’s policy of home demolitions which have been denounced as “collective punishment” by Palestinians and human rights groups.
Tension has heightened recently following a spate of house demolitions by Israel and the killing of an elderly Israeli man by a militant group linked to President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction. His battered and scorched body was found on Thursday.
Washington has been calling for calm in the Middle East to avoid complicating its plans for a possible military campaign against Iraq, which the United States accuses of seeking weapons of mass destruction.
“We recognise Israel’s need to take legitimate anti-terrorist action,” US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Friday.
“However, steps such as displacement of people through the demolition of homes and property exacerbate the humanitarian situation, and undermine trust and confidence.”
The army says it has no choice but to destroy buildings used by Palestinian gunmen to launch attacks at its forces, often from populated areas.
BULLDOZERS IN GAZA: Saturday’s house demolitions were the latest in a spate of Israeli operations in Rafah against buildings situated near the Gaza-Egypt border, a frequent scene of gun battles between Palestinians and Israeli troops.
On Friday, Palestinian residents in southern Gaza said Israeli bulldozers razed four homes in the area.
Military sources said the army had destroyed only an empty shack used by militants as a hiding place for explosives and as a shelter for gunmen shooting at troops. The army also destroyed the West Bank home of an Islamic militant on Friday, in a move it said was to deter Palestinians from joining the ranks of militants behind a wave of suicide attacks since a Palestinian uprising began two years ago.
At least 1,760 Palestinians and 676 Israelis have been killed since the uprising for statehood began in September 2000, shortly after negotiations for a peace treaty stalled.
In the West Bank earlier in the day, five Israeli soldiers were lightly hurt when Palestinian gunmen opened fire at them during an operation to arrest militants in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the army said.
An army spokeswoman said the soldiers were driving in a jeep through the streets of Jenin during a sweep for militants when they came under Palestinian fire. The forces returned fire and hit one of the gunmen, the spokeswoman said. Palestinians had no information on a wounded gunman but said a bystander was lightly hurt in the exchange.—Reuters
