The Hindu : Israel pushes ahead with offensive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 14, 2002

International

International

Israel pushes ahead with offensive

RAMALLAH March 13. The Israeli army pressed on with its biggest offensive in the Palestinian territories in 35 years today, killing a senior officer from Yasser Arafat's elite guard on the eve of a U.S. peace mission.

Israeli tanks tightened their grip on Ramallah after storming into the West Bank city yesterday, a day in which 41 people were killed on both sides in one of the bloodiest rounds of violence in 17 months of conflict.

The bloodshed left little room for hope that the U.S. envoy, Anthony Zinni, due to arrive in Israel tomorrow, would be able to convince Israelis and Palestinians to end the bloodshed after failed missions in December and January.

"Zinni will not succeed if we do not help him," the Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, the Government's leading dove, told Channel Two television. His comments implied criticism of the two-week-old campaign in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, now involving 20,000 troops, launched by the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon after Palestinian attacks intensified right-wing calls for tougher action. Some 150 armoured vehicles, including tanks, thrust into Ramallah and nearby refugee camps yesterday, tearing up roads and crushing cars in the main Palestinian commercial and political hub in the West Bank, witnesses said.

— AP

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

U.N. backs idea of Palestinian State

Ranil to visit Jaffna today

U.S. urges Dhaka to export gas

Benazir, Nawaz Sharif can't stand for election: Musharraf

Indian High Commission staff apprehensive

Taliban destroyed, says Cheney

Jiang asks military to prepare for 'struggles'

Nepalese Speaker escapes bid on life

Israel pushes ahead with offensive

U.S. Commission's `concern' over Gujarat violence