March 2, 2002

An AMB suicide bomber detonates a device in an ultraorthodox Jewish neighborhood of Beit Israel in West Jerusalem, killing 9 Israelis, including 5 children, and wounding 40. The PA "fully" condemns the attack or any attack "that targets civilians from both sides." The AMB says it picked a bomber fr. Dahaysha r.c. in retaliation for the IDF raids on the camps in Balata, Jenin. In Ramallah, Palestinians hold a spontaneous pro-AMB rally in support of the bombing. Hamas also issues a statement calling the attack legitimate. AMB gunmen also fatally shoot an Israeli policeman in a Jewish settlement outside Jerusalem; an IDF soldier dies of injuries received on 3/1. The IDF continues house-to-house, section-by-section searches in Balata, Jenin r.c. for the 3d day, moving from house to house through the walls. By this evening troops pull out of Jenin r.c. Troops in Balata say that they captured a stash of 6 Qassam-2 rockets, 7 explosive belts for suicide bombings, detained 15 Palestinians, killed 10 Palestinians since the raids began. IDF forces in Jenin r.c. say they have killed 20 Palestinians, arrested 12 during the same period. Elsewhere, an ambulance carrying 3 seriously ill Palestinian infants to a Ramallah intensive care unit is detained by the IDF at a checkpoint for 45 mins., causing Palestinian baby to die; 1 Palestinian is fatally shot by IDF troops nr. Bayt Hanun; a 3d Palestinian dies of injuries received earlier. Clashes are reported in Hebron, Nablus, Qalqilya, Ramallah. The IDF bulldozes Palestinian land nr. Bethlehem. (HA, HP 3/2; NYT, WP, WT 3/3; DUS 3/3 in WNC 3/4; MM 3/4; LAW 3/6; MEI 3/8)