divided the area into three zones.The invasion by air, sea and ground forces
was the largest Israeli military action in the more than six-month-old war
with the Palestinians and appears to effectively end the rule by Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat over the Gaza Strip. Arafat arrived in Cairo
from Amman as the Israeli counteroffensive began.Israeli officials said the
invasion was prompted by a Palestinian mortar attack on the Israeli city of
Sderot on late Monday. At least five 82 mm mortars were fired toward Sderot
in two salvos in a neighborhood named after the late Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin, who launched a reconciliation effort with Arafat in 1993. The mortars
have a range of 1.4 kilometers or nearly a mile.After the Palestinian attack,
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened his ministerial security committee and
close to midnight, Israeli attack helicopters and tanks were launching a
counteroffensive against PA positions throughout the Gaza Strip. The
operation, which lasted four hours, began in the northern Gaza Strip and
extended to the south.In all, seven PA installations were targeted. Israeli
forces did not enter Gaza City, the de facto capital of the PA, or any other
Palestinian cities.Israeli military commanders described the operation as
clean and said the army has plans to capture additional Palestinian territory
if the mini-war continues."We are not talking about an occupation," Israeli
military spokesman Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri said. "We are talking about a
takeover. In some cases, our forces entered several hundred meters or one
kilometer [in PA-controlled areas]. How long will this be? How long it takes.
It could be days or more. We want quiet."Palestinian sources said Israel used
fighter-jets and AH-64A attack helicopters to bomb PA security installations.
These included the offices of PA security chief Mohammed Dahlan and those of
Arafat's Force 17 praetorian guard. Both agencies have been accused of
carrying out recent Palestinian attacks against Israel.By dawn, the Gaza
Strip was divided into three Israeli-controlled zones. The exception was Gaza
City, which remains under PA control. Palestinian sources said a PA officer
was killed and 26 others were injured during the Israeli operation. Israeli
ministers said Sharon does not intend to reoccupy Palestinian areas of the
Gaza Strip.Palestinians forces put up little resistance to the Israeli
invasion, despite a televised appeal from PA secretary-general Tayeb Abdul
Rahim. Arafat did not directly address the Palestinians.On Tuesday, the
Islamic opposition group, Hamas, claimed responsibility for the mortar attack
on Sderot. PA intelligence chief Amin Hindi justified the mortar fire in an
interview with PA radio on Tuesday.In the West Bank, Palestinians and Israeli
forces exchanged fire on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israeli tanks fired
shells toward the Bethlehem suburbs of Bet Jallah and El Khader.
Tuesday, April 17, 2001
