Israel blames Syria in suicide blast
Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon implicated Syria in the Feb. 25 suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv nightclub that left four dead, after the group Islamic Jihad, which maintains a Damascus office, claimed responsibility. "The terrorist attack was perpetrated by members of Islamic Jihad. Thre orders came from Islamic Jihad elements in Syria," he said. But he was sure to add: "Even though we know this for a certainty, the fact is not enough to absolve the Palestinian Authority of its responsibility." (UK Guardian, Feb. 28)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, for his part, said of the attack: "Such actions will not be tolerated by us, as they are against Palestinian interests." Reuters cited a Palestinian security source as saying Hezbollah was behind the attack—a claim denied by Hezbollah. (Reuters, Feb. 28)
Gee, the new ceasefire is off to a great start, eh?
What ceasefire?
A ceasefire should mean both sides stop firing at each other, but it seems the press only cares when Palestinians fire at Israelis.
The following Israeli violations have occurred since the Sharm el-Shiekh deal was signed: (from Palestine Media Watch)
From the Palestinian Commision for Human Rights in Gaza (note: IOF stands for Israeli Occupation Forces, a term commonly used by Palestinians to describe the Israeli Army)
February 17 ˆ February 23, 2005
* A Palestinian civilian died from a previous injury he had sustained
by IOF.
* Continued shelling of residential areas in the Gaza Strip; 3
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were seriously
injured.
* Construction of the "annexation wall" in the West Bank has
continued and more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated for
this purpose.
* IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.
* Houses were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians were
arrested.
* Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property in the West Bank.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the
current Intifada, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions
at Rafah International Crossing Point, and IOF positioned at
checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian civilians.
Feb 10 ˆ Feb 16, 2005
* 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, were killed by IOF.
* IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.
* Houses were raided and at least 10 Palestinian civilians
were arrested.
* Continued shelling of residential areas, and a Palestinian child
was injured in Khan Yunis.
* Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians
and property in the West Bank.
* Construction of the "annexation wall" in the West Bank has
continued and more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated
for this purpose in Jerusalem and Jenin.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the
current Intifada, Palestinians aged 16-35 have been prevented from
traveling through Rafah International Crossing Point, and IOF
positioned at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian
civilians.
February 3, February 9, 2005
* 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by IOF.
* IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
* Houses were raided and at least 10 Palestinian civilians were
arrested.
* Continued shelling of residential areas, and 2 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were injured.
* Construction of the "annexation wall" in the West Bank has
continued and flooding from rain has damaged Palestinian houses
and property near the wall in the north of the West Bank.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF reopened
al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing to the east of Gaza, Rafah
International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border was reopened
but Palestinians aged 16-35 have been prevented from traveling,
and IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian
civilians.
January 27, February 2, 2005
* 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 mentally
handicapped persons, were killed by IOF.
* One of the victims was killed when the tent where he was detained
in an Israeli prison burnt.
* IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
* Houses were raided and dozens of Palestinian civilians were
arrested.
* Continued shelling of residential areas, and a child was killed
when she was at school.
* Construction of the "annexation wall" in the West Bank has
continued.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing to the
east of Gaza for the 3rd consecutive week, Rafah International
Crossing Point on the Egyptian border was reopened but Palestinians
aged 16-35 have been prevented from traveling; and IOF positioned
at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian civilians.
January 13, January 26, 2005
* 20 Palestinians, 14 of whom were civilians, including 5 children
and one woman, were killed by IOF.
* 2 of the children were killed on the first day of Eid al-Adha.
* One of the victims was extra-judicially killed by IOF.
* IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
* 3 houses were destroyed in Khan Yunis and at least 120 donums[1] of
agricultural land were razed throughout the Gaza Strip.
* Houses were raided and dozens of Palestinian civilians were
arrested.
* A house and an apartment building were destroyed in the context of
retaliatory measures against Palestinian civilians.
* 2 Palestinian civilians were used as human shields during IOF's
operations in the Gaza Strip.
* Continued shelling of residential areas
* Construction of the "annexation wall" in the West Bank has
continued.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; Rafah
International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border was reopened
for Palestinians wishing to travel back to the Gaza Strip; IOF have
continued to close al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing to the
east of Gaza; and IOF positioned at checkpoints fired at
Palestinian civilians and injured 8, including a woman and her
child.
Despite all this, the following headlines appeared after the Tel Aviv bombing;
"Suicide Bomb at Tel Aviv Club Shatters
Palestinian-Israeli Truce" (The New York Times), "Attack Outside
Nightclub Shatters Truce" (The Washington Post), "Blast shakes
Mideast peace" (The Austin American-Statesman), "Bomb Ends Mideast
Quiet" (The Hartford Courant), "Tel Aviv Bomber Imperils Truce" (The
Houston Chronicle), "Suicide Bomber shatters Mideast cease-fire" (The
Indianapolis Star), "Attack Shatters Calm in Mideast" (The Los
Angeles Times), "Bombing shatters delicate truce in Mideast" (The
Miami Herald), "Bomb shatters Mideast calm" (The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel), "Bombing shatters Mideast calm" (The Orlando
Sentinel), "Unofficial cease fire broken by first major attack in
months" (The San Francisco Chronicle).