RAMALLAH (voa) – Witnesses say Israeli forces have pulled back from the Ramallah headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat – only hours after storming the compound.
Palestinian security sources say Israeli tanks and armored vehicles rolled into the West Bank city early Thursday and immediately surrounded and stormed the Arafat compound.
The sources say the Israeli tank bombardment killed one Palestinian and wounded at least six others. Several buildings were damaged as well. But Palestinian officials say Mr. Arafat has not been harmed.
The raid follows a Palestinian car bomb attack on an Israeli bus Wednesday that killed 17 passengers and wounded nearly 40 others. The bomber attacked the bus early Wednesday near the Megiddo junction, a few kilometers from the West Bank. Thirteen of the dead were Israeli soldiers.
The Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility, identifying the bomber as a teenager from the Palestinian town of Jenin. The Palestinian Authority condemned the bombing and said it was hunting for the militants who dispatched the bomber.
Israel promised quick retaliation for the bus bombing. Earlier, Israeli forces entered Jenin, where Israeli helicopter gunships were reported to be hitting targets on the ground with heavy machine-gun fire. There was no word on casualties.
