TEL AVIV, 11 October — Israeli tanks killed two youths yesterday in the Gaza Strip in the ongoing operation that has killed more than 20 Palestinians.
In another incident, a Palestinian killed an Israeli woman and wounded 29 other people when he blew himself up in suburban Tel Aviv. Armed clashes broke out when Israeli tanks and troops burst into Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip.
Witnesses said bulldozers demolished nine houses and a helicopter fired at least one missile during the raid by about 15 tanks and armored vehicles.
In the Tel Aviv bombing, the unidentified woman killed in the attack was fatally injured after the bomber slipped while trying to board a bus and was thrown out by passengers who saw the explosive belt strapped to his body, police said.
They raised the alarm and fled, while the Palestinian ran off to a second group of people waiting nearby and blew himself up there, Superintendent Gil Kleiman said. Top Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudeina blamed the bombing, and other ongoing violence in the region, on Israel’s continued occupation and heavy-handed raids in the territories.
In the Rafah refugee camp, machine gun fire from Israeli tanks killed two young Palestinians, Palestinian hospital sources said.
Ehab Mughir was shot in the chest from a tank, they said, while 12-year-old Taher El-Hout was hit in the head.
In the West Bank, the army arrested 55 Palestinians in a huge dragnet through villages around Ramallah aimed at smashing Hamas.
In Gaza City, thousands of Palestinians took part yesterday in the funeral of the anti-riot police chief, Rajeh Abu Lehya.
