Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat emerged defiant from his West Bank compound on Thursday after an Israeli raid, saying "no one can defeat the Palestinian people."
"I ask the world to come and see this racism and this fascism and this massive attack on the Palestinian leadership compound," Arafat told reporters after stepping out of his headquarters flashing V-for-victory signs.
Palestinian supporters streamed into the debris-strewn yard of Arafat's compound to show support after Israeli troops withdrew early on Thursday to the outskirts of the city.
"This will not affect the Palestinian people. On the contrary it would increase the steadfastness of this people," Arafat said. Israeli troops shelled the offices and blew up security buildings.
A tank shell hit about 1.5 meters from Arafat's bed, punching a hole into the wall dividing his bedroom and an adjacent bathroom.
Pointing to his dust-covered bed, broken bedroom mirror and shattered bathroom tiles, Arafat suggested Israel was trying to kill him. "I was supposed to sleep here last night but I had some work downstairs," he said. "Of course they (the Israelis) knew where I was. Everybody knows this is my bedroom." For its part, the Israeli army denied these claims.
Overnight, Israeli forces stormed Arafat's compound and shelled his offices in response to a deadly Palestinian car bombing, Israeli military sources said.
The Israeli military said it acted amid "a wave of Palestinian terrorism sweeping the state of Israel," including the bus attack. It said Arafat's Palestinian Authority is "directly responsible for terrorism that originates in its territory."
According to AP, Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers took positions outside Arafat's headquarters but did not get orders to move inside, and there were exchanges of fire between soldiers and Palestinians, officials from both sides said. Witnesses said Israeli forces were not in central Ramallah but only around Arafat's compound outside the city center.
Palestinian security sources said one Palestinian, an intelligence officer, had been killed by the tank shelling and at least six people in the compound were wounded.
Several Israeli ministers have demanded that Israel expel Arafat, but other Israelis warn that an expulsion would lead to chaos and more violence.
"He's safe, but there was heavy shelling, heavy shooting. I could hear it over the phone," Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told CNN. "This is a major, major escalation and I hope that we can have the Americans and Europeans intervening immediately."
For his part, Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said Arafat had told him by telephone from the compound that it had suffered heavy damage from the Israeli barrage.
"This attack is another indication of the comprehensive Israeli war against the Palestinian Authority," he said.
"All political moves (toward reviving peace talks) will be useless unless the United Nations dispatches a protection force to the Palestinian territories," Abed Rabbo told Reuters.
Israel Radio reported that Israel did not intend to harm Arafat. It said that Israeli forces included giant bulldozers, which were knocking down buildings. The area was declared a closed military zones, banning civilians from entering, and a curfew was declared in the area.
A senior White House official said the United States was neither asked for nor did it grant a "green light" for the Israeli action in Ramallah, though it did not appear to be helpful in the push for peace.
White House chief of staff Andrew Card said President Bush was notified of the Israeli action, adding that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was looking into the situation.
Meanwhile, after Wednesday's bombing, Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon delayed his departure on a trip to the United States for talks with President Bush by one day until Saturday. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
