Christian Message Boards: Explosions rock Arafat HQ !

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Posted by Kindgo (Member # 2) on :

Israeli forces besieging Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have been blowing up buildings at his West Bank headquarters, as the number killed in the latest suicide bombing rose to six.
A huge pall of smoke rose from the compound in Ramallah as a series of explosions rocked the area.

Latest reports say an armoured bulldozer is digging a trench around Mr Arafat's office building.

One of the demolished buildings is thought to be directly behind where Mr Arafat is currently located.

But the Associated Press quote one of his aides as saying he remains in good spirits.

The army has blown up or bulldozed more than 10 structures in the compound, already battered by previous incursions that followed Palestinian attacks in Israel, Reuters news agency said.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military, whose tanks have been surrounding the compound since late on Thursday.

The BBC's Barbara Plett in Ramallah says the Israelis are levelling the compound around the Palestinian leader, aiming to isolate him completely.

They accuse him of failing to rein in Palestinian militants involved in this week's renewed suicide bombings inside Israel.

During the night, about 20 Palestinians left the compound and surrendered to the Israelis.

However, the army is demanding the surrender of other key figures - including the head of West Bank intelligence - they believe to be inside.

Israeli sources are talking about an unlimited stay for the military.

They have tightened the curfew in Ramallah and other West Bank towns.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat appealed to the international community to take action to end the Israeli "aggression", particularly against Mr Arafat.

In comments to the French news agency, Mr Erekat said the siege was part of a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to destroy the peace process.

However, Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Bin-Eliezer told army radio that Israel had "no intention of expelling Mr Arafat (from the West Bank) or firing at him.

"We want to isolate him", Mr Bin-Eliezer said.

For most of the past year, the Palestinian leader has been confined in Ramallah, with most of his compound destroyed and his security forces decimated.

Arafat's Ramallah compound

Known as the Muqataa
Built by the British in the 1920s
Palestinians took control in 1994 year after Oslo peace accords

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mi...ast/2270655.stm