Fearing an Israeli attack, Arafat expels 20 wanted AMB mbrs. fr. his Ramallah headquarters, where they have been hiding for several mos. in fear the IDF will assassinate them. Later in Tulkarm r.c., the IDF fatally shoots 3 AMB mbrs. in an apparent assassination but it is not known whether they were among the 20 fr. Ramallah. In continuing clashes in Bayt Lahiya, the IDF fatally shoots a 9-yr.-old Palestinian girl and a 16-yr.-old Palestinian boy, bulldozes a center for handicapped Palestinians and 1 Palestinian home; a 4-yr.-old Palestinian girl dies of tear gas inhalation. The IDF also sends tanks, 25 bulldozers into Rafah, demolishing 22 Palestinian homes completely and 2 partially, leaving 60 families homeless; demolishes 2 Palestinian homes in Dayr al-Balah; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Tubas. Palestinians fire an antitank missile at an IDF post outside Kefar Darom settlement, seriously injuring 2 IDF soldiers. The IDF retaliates by tearing up nearby Palestinian farmland with tanks, ordering a Palestinian family to evacuate their home. Late in the evening, unidentified assailants attack, severely beat AFP photographer Jamal Aruri outside his Ramallah home. (AFP, BBC, MM, PCHR 4/22; MA, VOI, YA 4/22 in WNC 4/24; AFP, NYT, WP 4/23; VOI, YA 4/23 in WNC 4/27; NYT, WP, WT 4/24; PR 4/28; PCHR 4/29; PR 5/5)
Thursday, April 22, 2004