RAMALLAH (voa) – Palestinian officials report heavy gunfire at Yasser Arafat’s West Bank headquarters between Israeli forces and Palestinian security officials. The firefight at the complex in Ramallah came just hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Mr. Arafat to be an enemy, and sent tanks to the headquarters.
A Palestinian official is quoted as saying Mr. Arafat and a number of other top officials were trapped inside the building.
As fighting erupted in Ramallah, a female suicide bomber detonated explosives in Jerusalem, killing herself and at least two other people. The blast took place near the entrance of a supermarket in a working-class Jewish neighborhood in southeastern Jerusalem as Israelis were shopping before the start of the Jewish sabbath. At least 24 people were wounded.
After an all-night special session of his security cabinet, Mr. Sharon promised that Mr. Arafat will be completely isolated, and that Israeli forces will carry out widespread operations to end Palestinian terrorism. A spokesman for Mr. Sharon, Rana’an Gissin accused Mr. Arafat of inciting young Palestinians to become suicide bombers but he denied that Israel is trying to kill Mr. Arafat.
Palestinian radio says Mr. Arafat’s Fatah faction has called on Palestinian gunmen to take the fight to Israel. In a telephone interview from his besieged headquarters, on Al-Jazeera television, Mr. Arafat said Palestinians will not give in to Israel. Mr. Arafat says Israel is once again showing it does not want peace.
Meanwhile, U.S. peace envoy Anthony Zinni remains in the region, and plans to continue his effort to bring about a cease-fire. In another development, Israeli officials said police stormed Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque complex Friday after Arab youths threw stones at Israeli worshippers nearby. The first deadly Israeli-Palestinian clashes broke out in the disputed area 18-months ago.
