NABLUS/GAZA, 15 June 2004 — Israel’s military killed two Palestinians, including a leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, in a missile attack on a car in the West Bank city of Nablus yesterday, Palestinian security sources said.
Palestinian security officials recovered fragments of what they said was a missile from the charred remains of a car in which Khalil Marshoud, an Al-Aqsa Brigades leader, and another Palestinian were driving. Both men were killed in the blast.
The Israeli Army declined to comment on the incident, which took place outside Nablus’ Balata refugee camp last night. The camp is a stronghold for the Al-Aqsa Brigades, part of President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction.
At the scene, rescue workers pointed to a large crater next to the remnants of the vehicle that they said was caused by the impact of the missile.
Palestinian residents and security officials were unable to say how the missile was fired because they said electricity was cut moments before the explosion, shrouding the area in darkness. The incident took place in the line of fire of an Israeli observation post overlooking the Balata refugee camp, they said. Marshoud was the target of an Israeli missile strike on May 3 when three Al-Aqsa Brigades members were killed in a helicopter attack, Al-Aqsa Brigades sources said. They said Marshoud evaded the attempt on his life as he was driving in a different vehicle at the time.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei is to hold talks in Cairo later this week to discuss Egypt’s involvement in the planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, senior Palestinian sources said.
Qorei will head to Cairo tomorrow where he will meet with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and other top officials, one source said on condition of anonymity.
“They will discuss the Gaza withdrawal, the Egyptian proposals and the dialogue between the (Palestinian armed) factions,” the source said. Qorei told reporters after the weekly Cabinet meeting in Ramallah that “we are still consulting with Egypt on questions which concern the Palestinian people”.
The prime minister said the Cabinet meeting, which was also attended by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, had been largely devoted to the situation “after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza” and security control in the territory.
Israel is looking to Cairo to help maintain security in Gaza after Jewish settlers and troops clear out of the territory, which is scheduled to take place by the end of next year. Cairo has offered to send between 150 and 200 security experts to Gaza for six months to organize and train a 30,000-strong Palestinian force. The Palestinians have also welcomed involvement from Egypt and Suleiman is expected in the West Bank city of Ramallah on June 23 for the latest round of talks.
