Israeli Forces Attack Autonomous Region - 2002-01-22

Israeli soldiers, supported by helicopter gunships, tanks, and armored units, attacked the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank. The Israeli army has imposed curfews in the area and is conducting house-to-house searches to arrest suspected militants. Meanwhile, Palestinian officials in Tulkarem have urged residents to go to mosques and oppose these regulations through mosque loudspeakers and to resist Israeli forces. Soldiers have also taken control of several buildings in the city and raised the Israeli flag over them. Armed Palestinians in the Tulkarem refugee camp exchanged fire with Israeli forces. The Israeli army claims Tulkarem is a center for terrorist activities. They state that this operation aims to dismantle the terrorists' infrastructure in the city. Dany Ayalon, foreign policy advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, stated that Israel must arrest these individuals in Tulkarem because Palestinian autonomy has failed in this regard, asserting that their actions are a clear act of self-defense. He claimed that when Palestinians do not fulfill their responsibilities according to all agreements, do not arrest terrorists, and refrain from stopping terrorism, Israel will take matters into its own hands. According to military officials, a Palestinian armed man killed six Israelis in the town of Hadera, in northern Israel, last week; he had begun his activities in Tulkarem. This armed man was also a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militant group affiliated with Yasser Arafat's Fatah. Before being shot by police, he suddenly opened fire on Jews with his automatic weapon. Ahmad Abdul Rahman, an advisor to Yasser Arafat, responded to the Israeli operation by stating that Israel cannot achieve its goals through force. He said that if Palestinians do not attain their rights, Israelis will not enjoy peace and security. Since the beginning of the conflict between Israel and Palestine that started last September, Israeli forces have repeatedly entered cities and villages under Palestinian control, but today's action is the largest and for the first time indicates that Israel has reoccupied a Palestinian town. Meanwhile, Mr. Arafat is surrounded by Israeli tanks in his headquarters in Ramallah. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated that the Palestinian leader must hand over wanted militants involved in previous attacks before being allowed to move freely. Palestinian officials have accused Mr. Sharon of attempting to destroy Palestinian autonomy and efforts to revive the peace process.