Three Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Rafah

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, April 20, 2003

Three Palestinians Killed by Israeli Forces in Rafah

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Israeli troops shot dead on Saturday night three Palestinians and wounded 17 others as Israeli army forces raided Rafah area on the southern tip between Gaza Strip and Egypt, Medical sources reported.

Witnesses said that at least 40 Israeli army tanks, armor vehicles, jeeps and dozens of troops backed by air coverage of Apache attack helicopters raided the town and the refugee camp of Rafah near the borders with Egypt.

They said that the Israeli army forces were apparently planning to raid the area, detained Palestinian activists who are on an Israeli security wanted list, and destroyed homes of dead Palestinian militants and others who are fugitives.

The Israeli army vehicles moved into Rafah area coming from three different directions and besieged the overcrowded refugee camp of Rafah, said the witnesses.

They also said that fierce exchanges of fire and confrontations took place between the Palestinian militants and Israeli troops, where people called via mosque megaphone upon the residents to resists the Israeli army incursion.

Medical sources said that three Palestinians were shot dead and 17 others were injured during the thrust into Rafah, adding that Rafah Hospital is expected to receive dozens of causalities until the end of the thrust.

A Palestinian public security spokesman said that it is the widest ever incursion into Rafah since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada, or Uprising that broke out against Israel in late September 2000.

A few weeks ago, the Israeli army southern command had decided to freeze its widespread military operations of incursions and massdestruction of Palestinian houses. However, operations into the Gaza Strip were minimized.

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