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Last update - 00:19 12/12/2007
Palestinian officials: IDF Gaza actions may sabotage talks
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Gaza, Islamic Jihad, Qassam 

Palestinian officials warned Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces raids in the Gaza Strip endangered the newly revived peace process, coming a day before the first Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in seven years.

The IDF concluded its Gaza operations on Tuesday night. The raids were aimed at curbing the ongoing Qassam fire, and left eight Palestinian gunmen dead and four IDF troops lightly wounded.

Dozens of IDF tanks and armored vehicles moved into Gaza on Tuesday morning, setting off clashes with Palestinian militants firing rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds.
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"The Israeli policy of escalation aims to sabotage and place obstacles before the negotiations even before they start," said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He called for the international community to intervene to end the incursion.

Israel Air Force planes providing cover killed three unidentified militants, soon after three militants were killed by an IDF tank shell, including one from the Popular Resistance Committees. Four soldiers were lightly wounded after an anti-tank missile was fired at their vehicle, and were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva.

Earlier Tuesday, two Palestinian militants were killed in two separate IAF strikes in northern Gaza.

An IDF spokeswoman confirmed that about 10 tanks and armored vehicles entered southern Gaza as part of a routine operation against Palestinian militants.

The operation focused on an area that is a main launching ground for rocket and mortar assaults on army bases and the Israeli-controlled Sufa crossing into Gaza. More than 15 militants have been killed in the area in recent IAF airstrikes.

IDF troops in the southern Gaza operation took over the rooftops of several homes and detained about 60 people for questioning in house-to-house raids, residents said.

The violence came a day after Olmert pledged to forge a historic path toward a final accord with Abbas' moderate West Bank Palestinian government. On Wednesday, the two sides are to launch their first formal peace talks in seven years at the historic King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

Among Israel's targets was a multi-story building that suffered heavy damage. Amid the rubble, at least two militants lay dead, including one man whose body was torn in half by a blast. As rescuers pulled the bodies away, two Israeli shells struck the building seconds apart, sending people scrambling for cover. The body of a third man lay motionless after the blast.

Schoolchildren ran through the streets of Khan Yunis, let out early from school so they could take refuge in their homes.

In Khan Yunis, militants carrying land mines and other weapons dodged among houses and maneuvered behind the tanks to fire at troops. Others took cover behind trees or covered themselves in leaves to camouflage themselves in open farmlands. into Gaza.

More than 15 militants have been killed in the area in recent IAF airstrikes.

"They believe that such operations will harm the resistance and weaken it, but they are mistaken," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Although Israel has warned that a major operation against Gaza militants was in the offing, it has said now is not the time for such action. The army said Tuesday's incursion was nothing out of the ordinary.

Earlier Tuesday, a Qassam rocket fired by Gaza militants struck and industrial center in the western Negev city of Sderot. No injuries or damage were reported.

IDF soldiers arrest 12 Palestinians in West Bank raids

In the West Bank, IDF soldiers arrested 12 wanted Palestinians early Tuesday, Israel Radio reported.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, a Palestinian militant died when an explosive he was planning to use against IDF troops detonated accidentally, local residents said.

Hospital officials identified the dead man as a militant from the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement. They said three other people were wounded by the explosion.


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      1.   BRAVE IDF 07:54  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 11/12/07
      2.   If true, it is about time. This entity of gangsters must not 08:02  |  A. 11/12/07
      3.   The IDF terrorists have started the war and... 08:19  |  Dutch Dirk 11/12/07
      4.   Actually... 08:33  |  Yosemite 11/12/07
      5.   When are these dumb militants going to learn that 08:45  |  Mark 11/12/07
      6.   To #3 09:53  |  Dave 11/12/07
      7.   A strategic operation by cowards to make life more difficult 09:56  |  Clickfool 11/12/07
      8.   What Disgraceful Aggression by the IDF into a civilian territory 09:58  |  Dutch 11/12/07
      9.   To Mark No. 5 10:08  |  Natan 11/12/07
      10.   For Mark, on Israeli cowardice # 5 10:13  |  Clickfool 11/12/07
      11.   #2 The real gangsters are the IDF 10:13  |  Dutch 11/12/07
      12.   Let them feel the heat.......... 10:42  |  Jean 11/12/07
      13.   They got a taste of their own medecine.... 10:42  |  maurice 11/12/07
      14.   Stupid Spokeswoman 11:05  |  Major R 11/12/07
      15.   More disgraceful & unlawful aggression by the IDF 11:17  |  Dutch 11/12/07
      16.   good self defense 11:35  |  international law 11/12/07
      17.   People should condemn this unlawful aggression by the IDF 11:40  |  Dutch 11/12/07
      18.   good work IDF 11:43  |  superswede 11/12/07
      19.   FIRE Qassems at Israelis,reap the whirlwind.Barak warned them 11:48  |  PETER SM 11/12/07
      20.   MILITANTS killed NOT civillians a masterful operation when 11:52  |  PETER SM 11/12/07
      21.   Talking about medicine, dear Maurice, what about your 11:55  |  Andreas 11/12/07
      22.   WHY!!! 12:04  |  B 11/12/07
      23.   Terrorist supporters arent welcome in the UK anymore 12:07  |  British academic 11/12/07
      24.   ahahahahah 12:10  |  B R 11/12/07
      25.   Dutch - Hamas dont want to be apologised for--desire martydom 12:12  |  British academic 11/12/07
      26.   Confused Clickfool contradicting himself again 12:17  |  British academic 11/12/07
      27.   Sqirming Clickfool #10 12:26  |  Neil 11/12/07
      28.   Gosh - what a surprise. 12:35  |  Palestinian Brit 11/12/07
      29.   Just for Clickfool 12:43  |  David Nigel Braham 11/12/07
      30.   Oh good, Business as usual 12:53  |  Awake 11/12/07
      31.   # 22 david; Of course clickfoll did not serve in the army.. 12:56  |  Max the Horoscope 11/12/07
      32.   David - Clickfool has served in an army 12:58  |  British academic 11/12/07
      33.   Go IDF Go! 13:00  |  Shimon Moalem 11/12/07
      34.   Kill more 13:01  |  SystemF 11/12/07
      35.   @3, dutch dirt, if hez or hamas could fire 200 13:07  |  vladimir 11/12/07
      36.   Serving in an army..... 13:11  |  Palestinian Brit 11/12/07
      37.   Clickfool the Rambo 13:18  |  Aby 11/12/07
      38.   To David #32 13:21  |  Clickfool 11/12/07
      39.   The fact that 4 IDF soldiers were hurt means they are still being 13:21  |  Jew 11/12/07
      40.   Clicky-pull the other one 13:30  |  British academic 11/12/07
      41.   Another border violation by Israel 13:35  |  Tim 11/12/07
      42.   36: Pal Brit, no, you don`t have an army 13:35  |  David Teich 11/12/07
      43.   # 10 Clicky...You don`t find it disgusting 13:37  |  Lynn 11/12/07
      44.   British Academic, Israel has gone too far 13:39  |  Dutch 11/12/07
      45.   When playing with fire and try to murder as many Israeli Jews as 13:44  |  Anat 11/12/07
      46.   Clickfool on the waves 13:47  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 11/12/07
      47.   israel is a military ethnocracy,has been from the get go,and 13:51  |  lakshmi 11/12/07
      48.   IDF Thugs & Goons Murder More Civilians 13:53  |  POP 11/12/07
      49.   Hamas&supporters too arrogant"Israel too soft" for ground op. 13:53  |  PETER SM 11/12/07
      50.   Blind and Deaf Dutch man 13:58  |  eddie 11/12/07
      51.   the blind dutch 13:58  |  real vision 11/12/07
      52.   POP can`t read 14:00  |  PETER SM 11/12/07
      53.   Bombing in Algeria 14:01  |  Edifice 11/12/07
      54.   Dear Clickfool 14:08  |  Morris Shapiro 11/12/07
      55.   Weak despicable, laughable hamas fighters cant defend their land 14:12  |  Erdogan 11/12/07
      56.   Brave Gaza 14:14  |  Pal 11/12/07
      57.   Clickfool Justifies the Falkland War? 14:16  |  Tex 11/12/07
      58.   Pal #56 "who are willing to die", and that you shall 14:20  |  Erdogan 11/12/07
      59.   IDF = Death Squads 14:21  |  POP 11/12/07
      60.   pal 14:23  |  Edifice 11/12/07
      61.   A peaceful world 14:24  |  Dav 11/12/07
      62.   IDF KIDNAPS 12 CIVILIANS 14:29  |  POP 11/12/07
      63.   DUTCH AND "GONE TOO FAR" 14:33  |  Brant 11/12/07
      64.   To Clickfool. 14:34  |  David Nigel Braham 11/12/07
      65.   To Clickfool, 38 14:37  |  Jabotinsky 11/12/07
      66.   to56 Pal, that`s the reason why they run for cover, hahaha 14:39  |  maurice 11/12/07
      67.   LAKSHMI AND ETHNOCRACY 14:39  |  Brant 11/12/07
      68.   Dutch 14:40  |  Jabotinsky 11/12/07
      69.   The Israeli way: Talk peace, kill Palestinians. 14:42  |  Apartheid 11/12/07
      70.   12 Kidnapped by the IDF 14:43  |  POP 11/12/07
      71.