Arutz Sheva
October 26, 2003
The 13-Story Buildings Were Not Occupied
The IDF took extensive action against terrorist targets in Gaza last night,
following the Palestinian terror attack that killed three soldiers on Friday
morning. Within hours after the fatal Friday attack, the army began warning Arab
residents living near Netzarim - the Jewish community in which the three
soldiers were killed - that action would be taken, and that they should leave
their homes for their own safety. The army even advised them to leave their
windows open, in order to minimize damage from the expected explosions.
Finally, at 2:45 this morning, it happened: The IDF razed three unoccupied
13-story buildings that the Arabs built three years ago just outside Netzarim
for the purpose of reconnoitering the military base and the Jewish town.
Contrary to propaganda reports issued by Palestinian Authority sources, the buildings
were unoccupied, were not even completed, and served only as a center for
hostile anti-Israel activities.
“These three tall buildings, right next to Netzarim, were not built to
improve the living standards of refugees,” Gaza Coast Regional Council head Avner
Shimoni told Arutz-7 this morning, “but rather to serve as observation points.
The buildings have not been occupied since they were built three years ago. We
have long requested that the army destroy them, and we are pleased that this
has finally happened.”
Other IDF activities last night included blowing up the Gaza police station.
It had served as refuge for the second terrorist in Friday morning’s attack
against the three soldiers, and afforded him other aid as well. In addition,
Israeli soldiers killed at least four terrorists over the course of the night,
thus thwarting infiltrations and attacks in two communities - Kfar Darom and
Gefen/Tel Katifa - and an IDF outpost in Gush Katif.
The fighting continued this afternoon: Arabs fired an anti-tank rocket
against an IDF armored vehicle, and a large bomb was discovered near a Jewish town.
This entry was posted
on Monday, October 27th, 2003 and is filed under news.