The Israeli army has started pulling out of Palestinian territory in the Gaza Strip which it had occupied last night during a heavy bombardment. The United States earlier this evening called on Israel to withdraw, saying that the Israeli action, which had followed Palestinian mortar attacks, was excessive. Four Palestinians were killed by the Israelis today, including two teenagers and a ten-year-old boy. A Palestinian policeman was killed overnight.
The Israeli general in charge of troops who re-occupied parts of the Gaza Strip earlier said that they could remain for months. The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, described the presence of Israeli soldiers on land under his control as an unforgivable crime. Israel opened fire on Palestinian security positions during the night in retaliation for a mortar bomb attack on an Israeli town near the border. The militant Hamas group has claimed responsibility for that incident. The Gaza Strip's border with Egypt has been closed.
A Palestinian cabinet minister earlier accused Israel of reoccupying parts of the Gaza Strip during the overnight missile attacks on the territory by land, air and sea. The minister accused Israel of taking a new and dangerous step by expanding the sphere of its conflict with the Palestinians. An Israeli army spokesman said, however, the troops would pull out once violence came to an end.
These latest attacks by the Israelis have been the fiercest and most widespread in the past seven months of violence. In another development, Saudi Arabia has branded Israel's military strike against a Syrian radar station in Lebanon as a despicable act and called for a firm stance against what it termed Israel's warmongering.
