Huge "Israeli" force swamp Nablus, impose curfew and clash with Palestinians in largest military operation in 2 years

Source: Maannews, 25-02-2007
Nablus - Ma`an - The "Israeli" occupation forces initiated a huge operation in Nablus, in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, considered the biggest operation in two years. Ma`an`s correspondent reported that more than 60 "Israeli" military vehicles and several bulldozers entered the city and imposed curfew.
Palestinian security sources told Ma`an that a large force participated in the incursion, focused on the old city, particularly Al Yasameen neighborhood, where dozens of "Israeli" soldiers were deployed in the streets. The city resembles something like a military camp, the sources said.
In an unprecedented step the "Israeli" forces infiltrated the airwaves of the radio stations, seeking to provoke Palestinian resistance men. The soldiers distributed lists of `wanted` Palestinians in the city and arrested six citizens, four of whom are relatives and two are brothers. The arrests took place in Rafidia, west of the city, and followed the besieging of one of the houses.
Ma`an`s correspondent reported that the "Israelis" announced the curfew through the local radio station of An Najah University and warned the citizens against breaking it. The "Israeli" forces commanded Palestinians to stay home and to keep away from banks and public departments and institutions.
The announcement also said that the curfew will be imposed for no specific time period and that they will be allowed, only during specific times, to be supplied with food. The citizens expect that the curfew may last for a long time.
The education directorate announced that teaching in the schools will be suspended for the coming period due to the curfew.
The "Israeli" forces claimed that the operation aims to arrest many of the `wanted` Palestinians, they claimed that they are searching for Mahdi Abu Ghazala, Ammar Akkoub, Sufian Qandeel, Amin Libbada, Abdulrahman Shinnawi and Mahdi Akkoub.
The operation ran into armed resistance in Nablus, which resulted in the injury of at least two "Israeli" soldiers.
According to recent reports two "Israeli" soldiers were injured when Palestinian resistance men attacked an "Israeli" patrol vehicle with an explosive device in the old neighbourhood of Qasaba.`
The "Israeli" army stated that a bomb was hurled at one of the patrols and that shooting at the "Israeli" soldiers occurred in the city, but they did not announce any casualties to the "Israeli" military or the resistance fighters.
The Palestinian presidency have denounced the ongoing "Israeli" assault in the northern occupied Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus.
A spokesperson of the presidency said that the "Israeli" incursion is a brutal aggression by an army which possesses all means of destruction and killing of unarmed citizens. The "Israelis" have imposed a blockade on the city and all its neighbourhoods, transforming residential houses into military posts. They also apprehended dozens of residents.
The spokesperson of the presidency, in a statement, depicted the "Israeli" assault as seeking to hinder every measure to maintain the "Israeli"-Palestinian ceasefire and violating the agreement, which was affirmed in a tripartite summit to enhance the ceasefire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The statement also said the "Israeli" incursion aims to intervene in Palestinian affairs and spoil the Mecca agreement in an endeavour to prevent the formation of a unity government. He said the "Israelis" want the sanctions against the Palestinian people to continue so as to keep the Palestinian arena bound to a state of attrition and tension.
Consequently, the spokesperson called on the international community to exert pressure on "Israel" to end their aggression.
Spokesmen of the Palestinian government, Ghazi Hamad, condemned the "Israeli" military operation in Nablus, which he said has resulted in the paralyzing of activity and life in the city. He said that the "`Israeli` occupation forces continue crimes against the Palestinian people through the killing, assassination and arrest of Palestinian citizens."
Hamad said the operation came in the shadow of an agreement on the formation of a Palestinian unity government, which is supported by the Arabs and the international community. He called on the international community to condemn the "Israeli" attacks on Palestinians and the United Nations to intervene to protect Palestinians.