The Israeli occupation army has turned Ramallah into a war zone
[IslamOnline & News Agencies - 4/2/02] OCCUPIED RAMALLAH, West Bank - A Palestinian official accused the Israeli occupation army of using Palestinians as a "human shield", Tuesday, April 2, to approach a building housing the Palestinian security service headquarters, news agencies reported.
Israeli soldiers forced some 60 Palestinians to walk in front of tanks as they approached the building of Colonel Jibril Rajoub's preventive security service building, the official told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Israeli occupation army pounded the headquarters of Yasser Arafat's security chief in the West Bank Tuesday, April 2, killing and injuring up to 30 Palestinians.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite television reported that five ambulances heading towards the security building were stopped by the Israeli occupation army. The medics were forced to leave the vehicles and were ordered to strip and were then taken away from the area and prevented from providing any medical aid to the Palestinians trapped in the building.
The attack came after the Israeli army gave Palestinians an ultimatum to get out of the building - where 400 hundred security personnel and civilians are trapped - or face the consequences, a military source claimed.
Heavy shooting broke out between Israeli soldiers and members of the Palestinian security service in the building, a Palestinian official said.
Al Jazeera contacted a civilian in a nearby building, and was informed that there were at least 60 civilians, 20 of them children, who were trapped in a small apartment in the building.
Al Jazeera was told that two of the women had nervous breakdowns, and that the children were screaming with fear.
The Palestinian also told Al Jazeera that their food, water and medicine supplies were almost completely finished, and that the situation was getting desperate. "Where are the human rights organizations, now?" he asked.
Tanks and helicopters opened fire on the nearby security compound just outside Ramallah and at least one building was engulfed in flames.
The bombardment followed what the official called heavy fighting between the Palestinian security forces inside the building and the Israeli troops, AFP reported.
Earlier, a dozen explosions were heard, apparently from grenade launchers, as two attack helicopters patrolled the area.
Meanwhile, heavy machinegun fire broke out early Tuesday in Ramallah and grenade explosions could be heard, AFP reported.
The shooting started at 5:55 am (0355 GMT) and was continuing with the same intensity 30 minutes later.
It was taking place in the district where the headquarters of the Palestinian security service is located.
At least a dozen explosions were heard, apparently from grenade launchers, as two attack helicopters patrolled over the district at low altitude.
Two other helicopters were also seen flying over another part of town.
Ramallah has been occupied by the Israeli army since Friday, March 30, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has been besieged in what remains of his headquarters, which is not in the same sector as Rajub's building.
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[posted 4/3/02]
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