IDF soldiers withdraw from north Gaza town of Beit Hanun - Haaretz

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Sun., November 01, 2009 Cheshvan 14, 5770

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		Islamic Jihad members running through the streets of Gaza City on Monday. (AP)




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Last update - 00:00 06/11/2006

IDF soldiers withdraw from north Gaza town of Beit Hanun

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies

The Israel Defense Forces pulled out of the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun before daybreak Tuesday, the military said, ending an almost week-long operation that killed 53 Palestinians, including 16 civilians, and an IDF soldier.

The IDF said forces took up new positions inside the Gaza Strip but outside the town. Residents reported troops and tanks withdrawing from the town overnight.

On Monday, five Palestinians, including two civilians, were killed by IDF forces in the northern Gaza Strip. In a separate incident, an IDF soldier was lightly wounded when a female suicide bomber blew herself up near troops operating the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

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The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations on Monday called for a ceasefire in the fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces in Gaza Strip and for UN observers to be sent to monitor the truce.

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas had written to the 15-nation UN Security Council urging it to take measures to stop IDF attacks on Gaza. Abbas also said he would be willing to accept a mutual ceasefire.

"We are willing to accept a ceasefire and we are willing to accept UN observers," Mansour said.

The army said that the female suicide bomber, who was wearing the explosive device, blew herself up near to the troops after they became suspicious of her and called on her to stop.

Relatives identified her as Mervat Masaoud, an 18-year-old student at Gaza's Islamic University. They said one of her cousins had blown himself up, along with another bomber, at the Ashdod port in 2004 in an attack that killed 10 people. This was the first suicide bombing against Israelis since a Tel Aviv falafel stand was blown up in April, killing 11 people.

The suicide attack came hours after an Israel Air Force aircraft fired a missile into a town in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, striking a group of youths on their way to school. A 16-year-old and a 20-year-old were killed in the strike, and at least three other people were wounded.

The IDF said troops on the ground in the same area had targeted four
militants coming to collect launchers used to fire rockets into Israel. A local resident said a group of militants had gathered on a street corner near a kindergarten and that the strike was aimed at them. The militants were not wounded, he said.

The airstrike was directed at a minivan parked in the Jabalya camp. A Palestinian security official said the minivan was empty at the time of the strike and that all of the wounded were passersby.

In a separate incident Monday, three Hamas militants were killed by IDF fire. They were named as Alla Seeam, 20; Mahmoud al-Kafarna, 20; and Mahmoud Taha, 32.

Soldiers have been operating in the town since last Wednesday, in an effort to curb Qassam rocket fire on southern Israel.

Meanwhile, four Qassam rockets landed in the western Negev on Monday, the IDF said. There were no injuries or damages in any of the incidents.

Military sources believe the operation is likely to last several more days, Army Radio reported on Monday.

Also Monday, an IDF unmanned aerial vehicle crashed near Moshav Nativ Ha'asarah. There were no injuries or damages in the accident. In a separate incident, and IDF vehicle in the Gaza Strip caught on fire due to a short circuit. There were no injuries in that incident, either.

Three Palestinians killed Sunday
On Sunday, three Palestinians, including two militants, were killed by IDF fire in Beit Hanun, as the IDF continued its offensive in the Gaza Strip against Palestinian rocket fire directed at Israel.

Palestinians identified the dead militants, killed in gun battles with the IDF, as 23-year-old Mahdi al-Hamadin of Hamas and Wissam Obayed of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. A third Palestinian gunmen was seriously injured.

There were indications that violence had also spread to the West Bank where according to initial reports, IDF troops wounded two armed Palestinians during patrols for wanted men in and around Nablus.

Despite the intense IDF pressure, the army said that 10 Qassam rockets were fired toward the western Negev on Sunday, four of which hit the Sderot area.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday refused to say exactly when the IDF offensive in the Gaza Strip would end, confirming only that the operation would continue until Palestinian rocket attacks significantly decrease.

"We have declared that we will never accept the ongoing Qassam fire and that we would take any steps needed to considerably reduce the fire and prevent terror activity," Olmert told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. "The operation is limited in time but we have no intention of announcing when it will end."

"When we reach the conclusion that the effectiveness of the operation is bringing us closer to reaching the goals, we will definitely pull our forces out of Gaza," he added. "We have no intention to occupy Gaza."

Defense Minister Amir Peretz said that so far, the IDF's offensive in Gaza was going as planned. "The operation in Gaza is being administered according to a focused plan - the IDF has taken control of most of Beit Hanun, including the casba. We have no intention of occupying Gaza again, but to continue with our focused plan.

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1.	maybe the kids will learn a lesson	08:41	\|	dave	06/11/06

2.	Eliminating the Violence	08:45	\|	Brad	06/11/06

3.	I wish the Palestinians would cease the qassams	08:52	\|	Gina	06/11/06

4.	Teenager used as missile retrieval unit	09:10	\|	Gina	06/11/06

5.	Soldier Killed	09:20	\|	Chris	06/11/06

6.	#2	09:21	\|	From the Moon	06/11/06

7.	Official Israel Liar stumped for an excuse	09:27	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

8.	Palestian Plight	09:32	\|	Thomas	06/11/06

9.	Dave # 1, on Israeli rocketing of a Palestinian schoolbus	09:32	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

10.	I wonder?	09:47	\|	Haim	06/11/06

11.	a 16 year old in gaza could easily be a terrorist mastermind	09:53	\|	pete	06/11/06

12.	Shame on you	09:55	\|	gus	06/11/06

13.	Clickfool, on israeli rocketing of a Palestinian school bus.	10:02	\|	Ben	06/11/06

14.	We do not expect the thief to return any. Brad	10:03	\|	an ARAB	06/11/06

15.	Whats pathetic	10:04	\|	Omar	06/11/06

16.	Kasam launch sites hit by missle	10:05	\|	Sam	06/11/06

17.	Clikfool,your perv soldiers killed stone-trowing youths in Basra	10:10	\|	Absolute Sweden	06/11/06

18.	# 1 Dave "Maybe the kids will learn a lesson"	10:18	\|	Swiss	06/11/06

19.	SILENCE IS A WESTERN POLICY	10:41	\|	indrajaya	06/11/06

20.	# 17 Absolute Sweden No stone-throwing kids....	10:44	\|	Swiss	06/11/06

21.	To the Israeli people from a Palestinian	10:53	\|	Arab on Haaretz	06/11/06

22.	Have you all gone mad?	10:55	\|	Martin K	06/11/06

23.	failure in South Lebanon	11:04	\|	Ruth Goodman	06/11/06

24.	For Indrajaya on Western silence # 19	11:07	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

25.	to #19 from Jakarta	11:30	\|	Parviz	06/11/06

26.	#1 Dave of no fixed abode - nice!!	11:38	\|	Tony Price	06/11/06

27.	To Thomas about Gaza greenhouses	11:40	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

28.	Swiss #18	11:43	\|	Rope-a-dope	06/11/06

29.	#13 Ben, teaching hatred?	11:44	\|	Tony Price	06/11/06

30.	About ClickFOOL, admitting to be sick	12:28	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

31.	Good! We should kill as many enemy as possible	12:50	\|	Ronny	06/11/06

32.	For Jonathan S # 30 on Israel`s survival # 30	13:11	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

33.	To Dave and Ben... for shame	13:18	\|	Maral	06/11/06

34.	Jonathon S Splitting hairs.	13:25	\|	Tony Price	06/11/06

35.	To ClickFOOL about an incurable disease	13:49	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

36.	Clickfool, what are the boundaries of what you call "greater	14:00	\|	Nadav	06/11/06

37.	dev	14:01	\|	ASAD	06/11/06

38.	clickfool	14:06	\|	infidel	06/11/06

39.	Yea for Clickfool re #24	14:12	\|	Fan Male	06/11/06

40.	To the Pan arabists #21	14:21	\|	A Jew on Ha`aretz	06/11/06

41.	We are giving ages again! Why ages and sexes ?	14:22	\|	redmike	06/11/06

42.	For Infidel #35	14:29	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

43.	Greater israel	14:34	\|	Milano Ashrawi	06/11/06

44.	clickfool	14:46	\|	infidel	06/11/06

45.	Tony Price #34	14:59	\|	Gee	06/11/06

46.	#44 Infidel	15:03	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

47.	All Israel asks	15:35	\|	Ron	06/11/06

48.	For Jonathan S # 35	15:58	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

49.	Women as human bombs in Beit Hanun	16:11	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

50.	49 killed	16:23	\|	Jon	06/11/06

51.	When will retaliation end? - When QASSAMS rockets are destroyed,	16:25	\|	Vittorio	06/11/06

52.	Selectivity	16:25	\|	* BEN JABO	06/11/06

53.	saray alquds	16:26	\|	saraya	06/11/06

54.	"Striking a group of youths on way to school"	16:28	\|	Joe	06/11/06

55.	To Tony Price and his hypocritical position #34	16:31	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

56.	Terrorism shouldn`t be tolerated neither in Israel, nor in Europe	16:35	\|	Vittorio	06/11/06

57.	Acts of resistence..gobble dee gook	16:38	\|	Avrum	06/11/06

58.	to Clickfool # 46	16:44	\|	Ilya	06/11/06

59.	ClickFOOL, your sickness takes unknown proportions	16:51	\|	Jonathan S	06/11/06

60.	# 49 Jonathan S Your comment is one more proof....	16:53	\|	Swiss	06/11/06

61.	CLICKFOOL go to washington report on middle fast affairs to see	17:03	\|	John	06/11/06

62.	21. arab on haaretz	17:06	\|	ed	06/11/06

63.	Arab on Haaretz- What are your conditions for peace?	17:08	\|	Sam	06/11/06

64.	INDRAJAYA . CLICKFOOL , THIS IS NOT AGAISNT THE PALESTINIAN PEOPL	17:11	\|	gabriel	06/11/06

65.	IDF soldier lightly hurt in north Gaza suicide attack	17:11	\|	Peter Dale	06/11/06

66.	Ruth Goodman	17:12	\|	rich	06/11/06

67.	significantly decreases?	17:26	\|	naftaly k	06/11/06

68.	significantly decreases?	17:28	\|	naftaly k	06/11/06

69.	incredulous article	17:29	\|	Pssd Off American	06/11/06

70.	Peter Dale #59	17:52	\|	Gee	06/11/06

71.	The wounded soldier	17:55	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

72.	THE REVOLUTION OF PAL WOMEN	17:57	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

73.	salaam gus	17:59	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	06/11/06

74.	to the Palestinians	18:03	\|	leo	06/11/06

75.	RESPONSE TO # 9 & 24 Clickfool	18:03	\|	The Warrior	06/11/06

76.	The terrorists sheltering among children	18:07	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

77.	At the risk of being redundant	18:12	\|	Dr David I Gross	06/11/06

78.	School is usually open	18:13	\|	Jack	06/11/06

79.	brainwashing school kids	18:18	\|	jack	06/11/06

80.	12. gus: Shame on you	18:18	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

81.	#67 - P.O.`s American	18:18	\|	* BEN JABO	06/11/06

82.	guess what thats what happens when you start a war. stupid people	18:19	\|	ralph	06/11/06

83.	62. Peter Dale: : IDF soldier hurt	18:23	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

84.	It is against the Palestinian People	18:31	\|	Jack	06/11/06

85.	To the Pals	18:32	\|	Leo	06/11/06

86.	Terrorist Apologists Clickfool, Dutch and Sam f	18:37	\|	Taha Afghani-	06/11/06

87.	look at the image at the top of this story	18:38	\|	vik	06/11/06

88.	1.the lessons they are taught	18:39	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

89.	To Terrorist Apologists Clickfool, Dutch and Sam	18:42	\|	Taha Afghani/America	06/11/06

90.	Clickfool, I can`t believe myself addressing you, nevertheless, I	18:57	\|	Nadav	06/11/06

91.	# 49, 56, 68, 70 Frozen hearts and minds	19:02	\|	Swiss	06/11/06

92.	Jack #76	19:16	\|	Gee	06/11/06

93.	For Ilya # 58	19:23	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

94.	Be realistic	19:28	\|	British Indian	06/11/06

95.	How many virgins does she get?	19:30	\|	Joe Goldstein	06/11/06

96.	A man whose nose is growing exponentially # 83	19:34	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

97.	to the guy who said the kids will learn a lesson...	19:43	\|	alon	06/11/06

98.	Multiple Sources Helpful	19:45	\|	Mark of Lewiston	06/11/06

99.	PAl women explode while PAL men run away in pantyhose&High heels	19:48	\|	Umm El Kul Naqba	06/11/06

100.	For Vik in New York # 81	19:57	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

101.	The Cure Is No One Should Respond To Clickfool	20:03	\|	Mike	06/11/06

102.	#86 - Joe, it`s a fixed number of 72 VIRGINS per lunatic	20:13	\|	* BEN JABO	06/11/06

103.	#87 - Clickfools Nose	20:17	\|	* BEN JABO	06/11/06

104.	TERRORIST SUPPORTERS: Your choice is a shame!....................	20:18	\|	Vittorio	06/11/06

105.	This Latest Pal Suicidal Bomber Attack In Gaza-Beit-Hanun	20:26	\|	Joseph E .	06/11/06

106.	Clickfool	20:28	\|	Mike	06/11/06

107.	Muslim Palestinians are not man enough	21:03	\|	Parviz	06/11/06

108.	Why Israel isnt letting Gaza students in	21:11	\|	Jon	06/11/06

109.	Clickfool	21:15	\|	Honest Observation	06/11/06

110.	hey click	21:26	\|	vik	06/11/06

111.	For Mike # 97	21:29	\|	Clickfool	06/11/06

112.	TO JOE IN RAMALLAH..can`t you see.	21:39	\|	MARIA	06/11/06

113.	to #1	21:39	\|	levi	06/11/06

114.	# 88 Joe Goldstein No virgins, but at least....	21:43	\|	Swiss	06/11/06

115.	joe goldstein...how many virgins.....	21:45	\|	maria	06/11/06

116.	typical of you guys to switch the words around	22:00	\|	dave	06/11/06

117.	87. British Indian: Be realistic	22:14	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

118.	You got it Mike. #94	22:28	\|	Polybios	06/11/06

119.	81. vik: the image at the top of this story	22:28	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

120.	Death Oriented	22:31	\|	Dan	06/11/06

121.	90. alon: the kids will learn a lesson...	22:45	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

122.	#67Pissd of America	22:46	\|	pssed off Israeli	06/11/06

123.	90. alon: more on the lesson	22:51	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

124.	#19 Indrajaya	22:52	\|	Jo Witness	06/11/06

125.	Clickfool	22:56	\|	Jo Witness	06/11/06

126.	#56 Vittorio speaks rubbish	23:01	\|	Johnboy	06/11/06

127.	#111 Dan	23:03	\|	Jo Witness	06/11/06

128.	53. saraya re saray alquds	23:14	\|	KUTW	06/11/06

129.	to Clickfool	23:16	\|	Ilya	06/11/06

130.	To those who believe in the "hijacked" theory of Islam	23:18	\|	Bimmer	06/11/06

131.	#45 Gee	23:31	\|	Tony Price	06/11/06

132.	#55 Jonathon S	23:40	\|	Tony Price	06/11/06

133.	Caro Vittorio-quelli che capiscono no c`e bisogno di spiegare	23:43	\|	Il Generale	06/11/06

134.	Johnboy: Try to grow up. Israel originally DID NOT occupied	23:57	\|	Vittorio	06/11/06

135.	tony price and Swiss	00:03	\|	bev	07/11/06

136.	bev, spewing hatred and contempt	00:23	\|	Ibrahim	07/11/06

137.	Ruth Goodman	00:27	\|	Mufasa	07/11/06

138.	Ruth Goodman	00:27	\|	Mufasa	07/11/06

139.	# 134 bev I don`t know why I care but if you...	00:31	\|	Swiss	07/11/06

140.	no ceasefire!!!!	00:32	\|	vik	07/11/06

141.	Should have taken out the mosque	00:40	\|	Bimmer	07/11/06

142.	arabist apologists and responsibility	00:52	\|	peter	07/11/06

143.	Tony Price #131	00:58	\|	Gee	07/11/06

144.	To Dave	01:26	\|	Lebanese in Canada	07/11/06

145.	To pete from Vancouver	01:29	\|	Lebanese in Canada	07/11/06

146.	# 138 Peter Arab apologist Swiss would give....	01:36	\|	Swiss	07/11/06

147.	Bev, Gee Jonathon S and others.	01:41	\|	Tony Price	07/11/06

148.	#138 Yeah peter, glad you asked.	01:50	\|	Johnboy	07/11/06

149.	What does an Arab knw about Gaza?? #14	01:51	\|	William	07/11/06

150.	#5 Response	01:53	\|	james	07/11/06

151.	Mr. Pal from Jenin - speak of peace #21	01:54	\|	William	07/11/06

152.	#138 Peter	01:54	\|	Tony Price	07/11/06

153.	#3 & #4 - Gina	02:22	\|	Australit	07/11/06

154.	to ibrahim...i don`t think bev is spewing hatred ....	02:28	\|	maria	07/11/06

155.	WHY IS IT THAT?	02:30	\|	Nechama	07/11/06

156.	Arab plans for peace	02:49	\|	angiolillo	07/11/06

157.	school bus targeting	02:58	\|	angiolillo	07/11/06

158.	Same policy	03:01	\|	Omar	07/11/06

159.	Pete SICK LOGIC	03:06	\|	Omar	07/11/06

160.	Ibrahim	03:36	\|	bev	07/11/06

161.	No more Israel	03:37	\|	pro-Arab	07/11/06

162.	crimes more crimes by the ITF	03:44	\|	sam (uk)	07/11/06

163.	swiss	03:45	\|	bev	07/11/06

164.	Clickfoolis patetic	03:50	\|	TOMY	07/11/06

165.	Brad	03:56	\|	Al	07/11/06

166.	Clickfool types	04:01	\|	TOMY	07/11/06

167.	Tommy - a little more?	04:56	\|	angiolillo	07/11/06

168.	PAY CHECK NOT ARRIVING	04:58	\|	TOBIA	07/11/06

169.	GAZA & PALESTINE	05:08	\|	Comensense	07/11/06

170.	hey sam	05:17	\|	vik	07/11/06

171.	TELL ME CLICKFOOL	05:26	\|	TOBIA	07/11/06

172.	#148 TOMY- flawed argument	05:40	\|	Tony Price@paradise.	07/11/06

173.	Pull out is 54 lives too late.	06:08	\|	Timothy	07/11/06

174.	Suicide bombers are bad idea for palestinians	06:17	\|	Voice of Reason	07/11/06

175.	Suicide bombers are bad idea for palestinians	06:17	\|	Voice of Reason	07/11/06

176.	Always look at both sides	06:35	\|	David	07/11/06

177.	Cynical Call For Cease Fire	06:55	\|	Brad	07/11/06

178.	Johnboy`s Ambulances	07:02	\|	* BEN JABO	07/11/06

179.	hey timothy	07:39	\|	vik	07/11/06

180.	Double purpose suicide bombers	07:40	\|	* BEN JABO	07/11/06

181.	#144, Omar	07:46	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	07/11/06

182.	#154, Tony Price	08:06	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	07/11/06

183.	#178 BEN JAMO, echo...echo...echo...	08:53	\|	Johnboy	07/11/06

184.	Cipora Juliana Kohn my reply	09:03	\|	Omar	07/11/06

185.	WHAT A KILLING MACHINE THE IDF & IAF HAVE BECOME	09:04	\|	Dutch	07/11/06

186.	Cipora voice of reason	10:54	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	07/11/06

187.	Arab on Haaretz	11:00	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	07/11/06

188.	Omar	11:09	\|	Jasmine Murphy	07/11/06

189.	#182 --Cipora	11:32	\|	Tony Price	07/11/06

190.	#185 Dutch	11:41	\|	Tony Price	07/11/06

191.	To Tony Price on the other side of the globe	12:14	\|	Jonathan S	07/11/06

192.	DUTCH#185... THE IDF HAS ALWAYS BEEN A KILLING MACHINE	12:20	\|	Messaoud	07/11/06

193.	Dutch#185.... IDF HISTORY	15:24	\|	Messaoud	07/11/06

194.	161#Pro Arab I disagree with you	15:45	\|	Sam (UK)	07/11/06

195.	Johnboy, I just knew you`d try to "Weasel" out	16:25	\|	* BEN JABO	07/11/06

196.	Tony Price@paradize	18:29	\|	TOMY	07/11/06

197.	Report cites abuse of Palestinian women, by their men	19:52	\|	* BEN JABO	07/11/06

198.	#194 Sam	22:58	\|	pro-Arab	07/11/06

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