World Tribune

Sharon: Serangan Israel Yang Baru Bermula

(Israeli offensive has only just begun)

TEL AVIV -- Tentera Israel telah menerima isyarat lampu hijau daripada kerajaan Israel untuk menghebatkan serangan terhadap Palestinian Authority (Pentadbiran Palestin = PA).

Perdana Menteri Ariel Sharon telah berucap kepada para komander Israel dan memberitahu perihal serangan terbaru yang akan dilaksanakan berperingkat-peringkat. Tetapi dia tidak menjelaskan butirannya.

Sumber Palestin memberitahu betapa Presiden PA, Yassir Arafat telah merencana satu tindak-balas yang berangkai melibatkan Fatah, Hamas dan pejuang Jihad Islamiah, demikian laporan Middle East Newsline.

Sumber ketenteraan Israel berkata kerajaan pimpinan Ariel Sharon telahpun meluluskan rancangan yang akan meneruskan kerja-kerja serangan sasaran PA dengan menggunakan peluru berpandu dan serangan pengeboman. Sumber itu menyebut betapa serangan udara yang dilaksanakan ke atas Tebing Barat dan bandar Gaza pada Selasa lalu, hanya merupakan satu permulaan serangan tentera.

Serangan udara telah digantung semalaman Rabu kerana ribut yang melanda Timur Tengah. Sumber itu menyebut betapa pihak tentera akan menunggu untuk seketika untuk menentukan sama ada PA telah memulakan menghukum para 'pengganas' Palestin sebelum menyambung serangan mereka. Setakat ini, kata sumber itu, serangan udara Israel itu tidakpun menjejaskan keupayaan tentera PA ataupun kumpulan pejuang Palestin.

Pada hari Selasa, Israel mengunakan helikopter dan jet pejuang untuk menyerang sasaran PA, dan Fatah di bandar Gaza, Khan Yunis dan kem pelarian Jabalya, Ramallah, Salfit dan Tulkam. Serangan itu menumpukan sasaran yang berkaitan dengan infrastruktur keselamatan PA dan bukannya pejuang Palestin. Sumber Palestin menyebut terdapat dua kematian gara-gara serangan Israel ke atas Gaza.

Israel taleh memusnahkan landasan kepalterbang PA di Dahaniya di selatan Gaza. Itulah pangkalan yang digunakan oleh pesawat terbang antrarabangsa untuk keluar masuk Gaza. Askar Israel telah cuba menceroboh masuk pinggiran Nablus dan Ramallah.

Sumber tentera menyebut betapa mereka tidak berminat menyerang kubu kuat Hamas ataupun kumpulan Jihad Islamiah. Kedua-dua kumpulan ini telah mengaku melaksanakan siri serangan bom relamati di Israel.

'Kedua-dua kumpulan itu adalah pertubuhan haram dan tidak sesuai untuk diserang daripada angkasa,' kara Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri, seorang ketua jurucakap tentera Israel.

Sementara itu, pejuang Palestin telah menyerang balas dengan melancarkan serangan baru pejuang relamati.

Pengeboman itu telah dilaporkan pada Rabu lalu berlaku di sebuah hotel di Jerusalem dan dilancarkan ketika para pejuang Palestin tidak mahu mendengar amaran Yassir Arafat agar dihentikan serangan terhadap Israel. Pihak berkuasa Israel melaporkan lapan orang awam yang lalu-lalang telah mengalami kecederaan dalam serangan pagi itu.

Pengebom yang merupakan anggota Islamic Jihad, telah terbunuh. Dua orang menteri Israel bertindak untuk bermalam di hotel sahaja.

Sumber Palestin berkata, kumpulan Fatah, sebagai kumpulan penggempur Palestin yang terbesar, sedang menunggu arahan Arafat untuk melacarkan satu siri serangan terhadap Israel. Sumber itu menyebut bahawa Fatah akan berganding dalam operasi itu bersama Hamas dan Islamic Jihad.

'Seandainya mereka membunuh anak-anak kami, kami akan bunuh pula kanak-kanak mereka,' demikian kata ketua tentera Abu Al Said di Betelhem sebelum berlakunya serangan itu. 'Kalau mereka bunuh kaum wanita kami, kami akan bunuh pula kaum wanita mereka. Kalau mereka bunuh pemimpin kami, pemimpin mereka akan dibunuh pula.'

Walaupun PA telah mengharamkan penggunaan senjata, pejuang Palestin sudah kelihatan dengan senjata mereka di Tebing Barat. Dan ada yang sudah melepaskan tembakan mortar ke arah sasaran Israel. Pegawai PA berkata, mereka tidak mampu mengamalkan peraturan sekatan itu disebabkan serangan udara Israel yang mengena harta benda Palestin.

PA memang tidak ada cara lain uuntuk meneruskan usaha tangkapan disebabkan serangan Israel itu,' demikian kata pemimpin Fatah, Hussein Al Sheikh. 'Takkan kami boleh penjarakan mereka sedangkan Israel melanyak harta benda kami.'

Pada hari Ahad, PA mengumumkan pengharaman tunjuk perasaan dan peragaan senjata yang tidak berlesen. Ketua keselamatan PA pula memberi amaran agar tidak ada sesiapa yang melancarkan serangan ke atas Israel.

Pegawai PA menyebut bahawa tindakan keras itu adalah sementara sahaja dan setakat ini Arafat belum menyerang sesiapapun di kalangan komander yang liar. Para pegawai menyebut bahawa Arafat sengaja mencetuskan kemarahan puak yang menentang kepimpinannya.

Pada waktu yang sama, pemimpin media Palestin terus memujuk para pejuang Arab menghentikan serangan mereka terhadap Israel. Pada hari Selasa, Arafat telah dilaporkan bertindak menggantung jawatan pengarah keselamatan PA di Tulkam, Col. Mohammed Awadallah.

Awadullah dilaporkan telah membebaskan banduan Palestin daripada penjara tanpa berunding dulu dengan kepimpinan Palestin.

Agensi berita 'The Palestin Wafa' telah merayu kepada orang Palestin agar 'menghentikan sebarang tindakan yang mungkin menjejaskan keselamatan orang Palestin dan perjuangan yang sah, dan menghentikan tindakan mengganggu masyarakat awam yang boleh mendorong kerajaan Israel menerima alasan menyerang, dan cara meraih simpati sejagat sambil bergantung kepada penderitaan bangsa Palestin yang tidak bermaya.'

Terjemahan: SPAR
08.12.01

Asal:

http://www.worldtribune.com/2001/me_israel_12_05.html

Sharon: Israeli offensive has only just begun

Wednesday, December 5, 2001

TEL AVIV - Israel's military has received a green light from the government for a sustained offensive against the Palestinian Authority.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon addressed Israeli commanders and told them the current offensive would comprise several stages. He did not elaborate.

Palestinian sources said PA Chairman Yasser Arafat was planning a coordinated response using Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad forces, Middle East Newsline reported.

Israeli military sources said the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved plans that would ensure continued missile and bombing attacks on PA targets. The sources said the round of air attacks on West Bank and Gaza cities on Tuesday was only the start of the military offensive.

Air operations were suspended overnight Wednesday because of the storm that struck the Middle East. The sources said the military would wait for another day to determine whether the PA has launched a crackdown against Palestinian insurgents before resuming attacks. So far, the sources said, the Israeli air attacks have not affected the military capabilities of the PA or Palestinian insurgency groups.

On Tuesday, Israeli attack helicopters and combat jets struck PA and Fatah targets in Gaza City, Khan Yunis and the Jabalya refugee camp, Ramallah, Salfit and Tulkarm. The attacks focused on the PA security infrastructure rather than on Palestinian combatants. Palestinian sources reported that two Palestinians were killed in the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Among the infrastructure destroyed was a landing strip at the PA airport in Dahaniya in the southern Gaza Strip. The airport was used for international flights to and from Gaza. Israeli troops also entered the outskirts of Nablus and Ramallah.

Military sources said neither Hamas nor Islamic Jihad strongholds were targeted. Both groups have claimed responsibility for a series of suicide bombings in Israel.

"The two groups are secret organizations and not suitable for air attacks," Brig. Gen. Ron Kitri, the chief Israeli military spokesman, said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian insurgents have struck back with a new suicide bombing attack against Israel.

The bombing was reported on Wednesday outside a downtown Jerusalem hotel and came as Palestinian insurgents ignored the warnings of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to end attacks against Israel. Israeli authorities said eight Israeli passersby were slightly injured in the morning attack.

The bomber, identified as a member of Islamic Jihad, was killed. Two Israeli ministers were staying overnight in the hotel.

Palestinian sources said the Fatah movement, the largest of the Palestinian insurgency groups, is expecting an order from Arafat for a wave of attacks on Israeli positions. The sources said Fatah will operate in coordination with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"If they kill our children, we will kill theirs," Hamas military commander Abu Al Said in Bethlehem said before the attack. "If they kill our women, we will kill theirs. If they kill our leaders, we will kill theirs."

Despite a PA ban, Palestinian gunmen were seen parading their weapons in West Bank cities as gunners continued to fire mortars and automatic weapons toward Israeli targets. PA officials said they could not enforce the ban amid Israeli air attacks on their installations.

"There is no way the Palestinian Authority can continue the arrests amid the Israeli attacks," Fatah commander Hussein Al Sheik said. "We can't keep them in jail while Israel bombs PA installations."

On Sunday, the PA announced that it was banning unauthorized demonstrations and the display of unlicensed weapons. PA security chiefs also warned against attacks against Israeli targets.

PA officials said the crackdown would be temporary and so far Arafat has not targeted senior insurgency commanders. The officials said Arafat does not want to ignite the Palestinian opposition against his regime.

At the same time, the official Palestinian media continued to urge insurgents to end attacks against Israel. On Tuesday, Arafat was reported to have suspended the PA security director in Tulkarm, Col. Mohammed Awadallah.

Awadallah was said to have released Palestinian insurgents from prison without consulting the Palestinian leadership.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency called on Palestinians to "cease taking any action that might harm the Palestinians and the Palestinian case and the legitimate struggle, and to stop all actions against civilians that provide the Israeli government with excuses to launch these attacks, and means to gain the international sympathy on the expense of the defenseless Palestinian people."