Israeli-Palestinian Violence Escalates
VOA News
3 Mar 2002 18:05 UTC
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Israel is considering a further response to the latest wave of attacks by Palestinian militants, which have left at least 20 Israelis dead since Saturday.

The Israeli cabinet met Sunday to discuss the situation shortly after a lone Palestinian sniper shot and killed seven Israeli soldiers and three Jewish settlers at an army roadblock guarding Ofra, a West Bank settlement.

Another Israeli soldier was killed in a shooting along the border with the Gaza Strip. Just Saturday, nine Israelis were killed and 35 injured in a suicide bombing in Jerusalem.

Israeli helicopter gunships responded to the latest attacks with raids on Palestinian positions in the West Bank. At least four Palestinian policemen were killed. And Israeli tanks moved back into a refugee camp in the town of Jenin - one of two such West Bank camps that were the targets of Israeli raids last week.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization, claimed responsibility for the violence. The group had promised to avenge the Israeli raids on the refugee camps.

The Israeli government has repeatedly blamed Mr. Arafat for the violence and there are growing calls in Israel for his removal from power.

Some information for this report provided by AFP.

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