RAMALLAH, 10 April 2005 — Israeli troops fired at a group of Palestinian youths playing soccer in a refugee camp yesterday, killing three teenagers in the deadliest incident in the Gaza Strip since Israel and the Palestinians declared a cease-fire two months ago.
The incident in the Rafah camp, located along the border with Egypt, shattered weeks of calm and added to tensions surrounding plans by Jewish extremists to march on a disputed holy site in Jerusalem today.
Palestinian leaders and fighter groups stopped short of calling off the truce, but fighters said they reserved the right to respond to the shooting and called for a “re-evaluation” of their positions. After the incident, Palestinians fired at least 25 mortars at Jewish settlements in Gaza, causing no injuries, the army said.
Ali Abu Zeid, a 22-year-old Rafah resident, said the teens were playing soccer in an open area when the ball was kicked toward a border fence. “The kids ran after it, and that’s when we heard gunfire,” he said. Palestinian hospital officials said two of the dead youths were 15, and the third was 14.
The Israeli Army said a group of Palestinians had entered an unauthorized area, and that troops opened fire after three people ran toward soldiers and ignored warning shots.
The Rafah refugee camp has been a frequent flashpoint of fighting since violence broke out in late 2000. The Israeli Army operates in the area to halt Palestinian weapons smuggling across the border.
The violence has dropped sharply since Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared the cease-fire on Feb. 8. Last month, Palestinian groups joined the truce.
A total of 13 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israel since the truce went into effect. But yesterday’s shooting was the deadliest single incident. Five Israelis have also died during the period, all killed in a Feb. 25 bombing outside a Tel Aviv nightspot.
Abbas “severely” condemned yesterday’s shooting, calling it a violation of the truce agreement. “We will not accept our children being killed in this way,” he said.
Hamas, the largest Palestinian fighter group, pledged to avenge the deaths of the three teens.
“The Palestinian people cannot stay silent in the face of this crime and it cannot pass without punishment,” said Saeed Siyam, a Hamas leader in Gaza. He would not comment on whether Hamas remained committed to the truce.
Mohammed Al-Hindi, leader of Islamic Jihad, said his group would continue to honor the truce, but reserved the right to retaliate. “The Palestinian factions must now meet and re-evaluate the situation. For now, we are committed to the quiet,” he said at a news conference.
Shortly after the news conference, Islamic Jihad fighters claimed responsibility for firing a barrage of mortar shells at Jewish settlements in Gaza. Abu Abir, spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees, said his group would attack the southern Israeli city of Sderot with rockets.
— With input from agencies
