Israeli troops killed five Palestinians Sunday morning in a raid on the Gaza Strip town of Abasan, located near Khan Yunis.
The Israeli army said it killed one man, an alleged member of Hamas, as he tried to evade arrest. The military said troops fired at the fleeing man and he exploded, indicating he was carrying a bomb or wearing an explosive belt.
For its part, Palestinian doctors disputed the Israeli account, saying the dead man suffered extensive bullet wounds but showed no signs of having been in an explosion. They said another five people died as Palestinians engaged in a fierce gunfight with the Israeli troops.
The victims were identified as: Thaer Qadih, 21, Basem Qadih, 34, Rafat Abu Tueimah, 23, Amenah Qadih, Sana Qadih (the wife of Basem), 34, Abd al Rahman Zaki a-Dardisi, 25.
During the attack seven houses were also destroyed, three of them were flattened while four others were critically damaged.
Israeli troops had entered the town at around 3:00 am (0100 GMT) and left after about six hours. The Israeli army reported no Israeli casualties during the Khan Yunis raid.
In the Deheisheh refugee camp located at the West Bank city of Bethlehem, occupation forces razed two homes Saturday night belonging to Fatah-Tanzim members. The home of Mohammed Daragmeh, who carried out the attack in the Beit Israel neighborhood in Jerusalem two years ago, in which 10 Israelis were killed, and the home of Rami Mohammed Hussein Issa, who blew himself up two years ago, killing a policeman on highway No. 1.
Israeli troops arrested Sunday four civilians and detained four others in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, witnesses said. They told WAFA that an Israeli military force stationed at Ektaba-Deir al- Ghsoon road arrested Bassam Juda who was led into an unknown place.
The soldiers stationed at Balaa Israeli military checkpoint, east the city, arrested Muzaffar, 27 and Bashar Sulaiman, 27, and Mahmoud Zafer, 23, witnesses told WAFA.
Earlier, Palestinians medics that that Israeli troops killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus on Saturday. (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
