GAZA CITY, 30 August 2006 — Three members of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, were killed early yesterday in Israeli missile attacks in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah, witnesses and medical sources said.
They said two of them were killed when an Israeli combat helicopter fired four missiles at a residential area in the densely populated Balata refugee camp near Nablus.
Brigades sources identified the two as Ibrahim Abu Munif, 20, and Hani El-Hashash, 25. Israel said they were wanted.
Earlier, Israeli undercover units ambushed and assassinated a Palestinian activist of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Ramallah. Witnesses said Ala Al-Rabi, 27, from Dir Gassana village, was shot dead by Israeli undercover agents as he was walking near Al-Manar Square. The Brigades vowed to avenge the killing of its members.
In the Gaza Strip, five civilians were wounded early yesterday when an Israeli drone fired a missile at them. Israeli troops have been operating in Gaza City since the weekend, avowedly searching for tunnels and explosives. Residents reported heavy exchanges of fire and tank movement in the area yesterday.
Also yesterday, an Israeli military court extended the detention of Palestinian Finance Minister Omar Abdel Razek for two more weeks, the army said. The minister is among dozens of top Hamas officials rounded up by Israel after Hamas-allied fighters captured an Israeli soldier in June.
Abdel Razek was escorted into court with his arms and legs shackled, but his hands were later uncuffed, said the minister’s assistant, Shadi Matar.
In one of the most violent rallies in Gaza since the Hamas government assumed power seven months ago, hundreds of Palestinians demanding jobs clashed with riot police outside Parliament yesterday.
Police fired warning shots in the air to disperse demonstrators, who stormed the gate of the building and hurled rocks as legislators met inside. There were no reports of injuries.
“I want a dignified life. I need to be able to feed my family. The new school year is about to start and my children have no uniforms,” said one demonstrator, holding an empty dish and a spoon.
Many of the protesters have not worked for years, denied entry to jobs they held in Israel before the start of a Palestinian uprising in 2000 that has deepened poverty in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
The demonstration, one of the most violent in Gaza since Hamas came to power in a January election, was organized by the Palestinian Workers Union, which is controlled by Fatah.
Senior Hamas politician Mushir Al-Masri said the government, which is facing international sanctions over Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence, has decided to distribute financial aid to workers within days. In a clear reference to Fatah, he said “a certain political party” was behind the demonstration and hoped to damage the government’s image.
— Additional input from agencies
