MIDDLE EAST: Israeli tanks moved to within 30 yards of Palestinian Authority President, Mr Yasser Arafat's offices in Ramallah yesterday, and Israeli F-16s blew up a PA headquarters building in Tulkarm, following Thursday's attack by a gunman ostensibly loyal to Mr Arafat on a banquet hall in central Israel, in which six Israelis were killed, writes David Horovitz
One Palestinian was killed during clashes with the Israelis near Mr Arafat's compound, and a second, a PA policeman, was killed in the Israeli air raids on Tulkarm. In Gaza, another Palestinian was killed by the army, which said he had been trying to infiltrate into Israel.
The US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, condemned Thursday's attack - at the David's Palace hall in Haderah, where Nina Kardashova was celebrating her 12th birthday with 180 guests - as "senseless violence". Israel's Defence Minister, Mr Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, urged the Americans to send their peace envoy, Mr Anthony Zinni, back to the region, to pressure Mr Arafat into confronting extremists - from within his own ranks, and in the fundamentalist Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Ironically, aides to Mr Arafat echoed the call for Mr Zinni's return, asserting that Israel's Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, had deliberately failed to capitalise on a period of calm between mid-December and early January because he feared that a return to substantive peace talks would trigger the collapse of his governing coalition. Israel was now "deliberately escalating" its military attacks in an effort to bring down Mr Arafat and the PA, said Mr Nabil Abu Rudeineh.
As of last night, the PA had issued no clear condemnation of Thursday's attack, which was carried out by Abed Hasson, a member of the "Al-Aqsa Brigades" - the military wing of Mr Arafat's Fatah faction of the PLO. In the style of Hamas, Hasson recorded a video prior to setting out on the attack - M-16 in one hand, Koran in the other - assuming, correctly, that he would not survive it.
Eyewitnesses said that he ran into the hall, on Haderah's main road, shot dead an unarmed guard at the door, and then opened fire on guests and on the band. One of the musicians was among the six Israelis killed; another was the birthday girl's grandfather.
Ms Kardashova said that the "terrorist ruined the happiest day of my life". She said she hid under a table to avoid the gunfire. The attacker was overpowered by guests when his weapon jammed, and was shot dead by a local policeman, who said he saw Hasson reaching for a hand-grenade.
Palestinian officials said that Israel is now in control of more than half of Ramallah, and has tightened its military blockades around other West Bank cities. They added that all prisoners were released from the jail located inside their Tulkarm he adquarters shortly before the Israeli air raid - since they knew it was coming. These prisoners were mainly "security detainees", they said, arrested at Israel's request.