JERUSALEM, (Islamweb & News Agencies)-Al-Jazeera TV Satellite Station correspondent in Palestine quoted well-informed sources as saying that Israel has deployed surface to surface missiles in the Gaza strip in what appears to be a prelude to a wide ranging military operation in the Gaza Strip in the context of its on-going current military escalation against the Palestinians now entering its six day. At the same time the Israeli occupation authorities has instructed foreigners to leave the Gaza strip and that many of these are already packing in response.
At the same time, Israeli occupation forces shot dead three Palestinian men in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem overnight, Palestinian hospital sources said early Wednesday. The victims were identified as Ayman Jalad, 20, Mahmoud Jalad, 21 Saleh Assi, 23. Five other Palestinians were said to have been shot and injured in the incident as Israeli occupation forces continued their incursions into Tulkarem and other autonomous Palestinian West Bank towns. The latest deaths bring to 34 the number of Palestinians killed since the Israeli military offensive in the West Bank was launched on October 18.
The developments came as Israel maintained its military grip on six Palestinian-controlled cities in the West Bank on Wednesday despite a call by U.S. President George Bush for the forces to withdraw.However, signs emerged that Israel might be setting the stage for a pullout now that the United States, its guardian ally, has hardened its demands for an end to the biggest Israeli army operation to date against the Palestinian Authority.
In Washington, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said after meeting Bush in Washington on Tuesday that the president had asked for a pullback from territory seized after the assassination a week ago of a far-right Israeli cabinet minister.
Bush had also suggested that continued Israeli-Palestinian violence made it harder for him to maintain a coalition in the U.S. war on terrorism, Peres told reporters.
``He mentioned (a pullout) and we said that's our intention,'' said Peres, who had talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell before the White House meeting with Bush.
``And the minute the Palestinians will take over in their own hands the introduction of law and tranquillity and put in jail the main troublemakers, we (should) be more than happy to redeploy our army to their previous positions,'' Peres said.
However, a statement issued by Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's spokesman appeared to leave the way open for Israeli forces to move out on the promise alone of such Palestinian action.
PHOTO CAPTION: An injured Palestinian flashes a v-sign after receiving injuries from Israeli tank shells fired on the Al Aza refugee camp in Bethlehem, October 23, 2001. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Tuesday defied pressure from the United States and his own coalition partners to end Israel's biggest military offensive against the Palestinian Authority in which at least 24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the past five days. REUTERS/Ammar Awad