Three Israelis killed in shooting attack in Ramallah area

[Gimel]

Meanwhile, the attacks on innocent civilians continue.

Three Israelis were killed Sunday evening in a
shooting attack as they were traveling on a road
in the area of the West Bank city of Ramallah.


One other Israeli was moderately wounded in the attack on a
vehicle traveling on Road 60, near to the settlement of Ofra
and the Arab village of Ein Yabrud.

<snip>

Israel Radio reported that the assailants also
threw an explosive device at the vehicle.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group
linked to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser
Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility
for the attack.

According to Channel Two television, a number of
gunmen were involved in the attack, who
ambushed the Israelis and opened fire from
close range.

<snip>
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/351097.html

[patdem]

1. Seems the three were soldiers or was it a different attack?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=174232

[Gimel]

2. Identities not released

However, the civilian status is given even if they were off-duty soldiers.

[Darranar]

5. So when the IDF...

extra-judicially assasinates off-duty terrorists, are they civilians too?

[bluesoul]

6. Terrorists/civilians

Excellent point Darranar, as always! ;)

[Gimel]

8. The leaders are never off-duty.

In fact it has been given every justification to assassinate the leaders of terrorist organizations. I posted links to this a couple of months ago. I don't have it on hand at the moment.

The issue of a "ticking bomb" extra-judicial killing, is the use of the "targeted assassinations" when information about imminent attacks have led to the necesity of preventing attacks with this method.

http://www.peacenow.org/nia/briefs/QA061603.html

[bluesoul]

9. Assasinations

Assasinations of political leaders are illegitimate according to international law..

[The Magistrate]

11. The Concept Of 'Off-Duty Soldiers', Ma'am

Does not exist in time of war. The question is only whethr they were serving members of the armed forces; whether in the line, or on leave, etc., is immaterial.

[Aidoneus]

3. "innocent civilians"?

is that the new diversionary euphemism used for "army patrols" these days? You kids and your slang..

[bluesoul]

4. hmm

Three soldiers in OT are innocent civilians..

[Aidoneus]

7. indeed

In the spirit of the comedy act I just finished watching, I have an impression. It's not funny "ha-ha", but worth a hoot, or at least a half-chuckle and a slight belly shake. Here goes:--

The collateral damage is unfortunate, but those Israeli terrorists shouldn't be hiding in populated areas! Those terrorists just want to get innocent people killed for the sympathy.

:eyes:

[Aidoneus]

10. Israeli soldiers in West Bank ambush

Israeli soldiers in West Bank ambush
Sunday 19 October 2003

Three Israelis soldiers were killed and several more wounded when they were ambushed by Palestinian gunmen on Sunday evening near Ram Allah in the West Bank.

The ambush, carried out by al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, took place in the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud near the Israeli settlement of Ofra.

The soldiers were on patrol in the village - which is now under curfew - when they were attacked in a so- called drive-by shooting.

--snip--

An Israeli army spokesman confirmed the deaths to Aljazeera.net. When asked if the dead were civilian or military, he added: "We can confirm the dead are soldiers and another one was wounded.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/FA0502F5-1B15-4E84-A0E0-B237659659AF.htm

"Meanwhile, the attacks on innocent civilians continue."

[The Magistrate]

12. It Would Be Useful, My Friend

To see another source confirm this: one wonders how routinely Israeli spokespeople deal direct with al'Jazeera, and how accurately any statemnts by such spokespeople would be transmitted.

[Aidoneus]

14. confirmation elsewhere as requested--

3 Israeli Troops Die in West Bank Ambush
By ALON BERNSTEIN, Associated Press Writer

EIN YABRUD, West Bank - Palestinian gunmen ambushed an Israeli army patrol in a West Bank town after sundown Sunday, killing three soldiers, Israeli security sources and rescue services said, the most serious attack in the area in months.

--snip--

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Palestinians ambushed an Israeli army foot patrol in the Palestinian village of Ein Yabrud, east of the West Bank town of Ramallah. Three soldiers were killed and another was seriously wounded, they said.

--snip--

Israel TV said that because of the severity of the attack, Israeli forces were likely to enter Ramallah, where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been trapped in his headquarters for nearly two years.

Israel Radio reported that soldiers imposed a curfew on Ein Yabrud and was searching for the attackers, who escaped.

--snip--

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=4&u=/ap/20031019/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians

The press office for the army was probably pressed by any number of media organizations, and gave the same briefing.

[The Magistrate]

16. Thank You, Gentlemen

There can be no doubt this was a legitimate act of war.

[Darranar]

15. Here...

Israeli soldiers killed in ambush

Three Israeli soldiers have been shot dead and another wounded by suspected Palestinian gunmen near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, security sources have said.

The soldiers were on a foot patrol near the settlement of Ofra north of Ramallah when they came under fire. Reports said the gunmen also detonated an explosives during the attack.

No one was claimed responsibility for the killings but the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an offshoot of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, have carried out attacks in the area before.

Telegraph.co.uk

[Gimel]

13. I'll wait

for their identities to be released to comment. However, according to Human Rights organizations, off-duty soldiers are given the status of civilians. If they were soldiers on a front line, of course there is no off-duty status.

[bemildred]

17. The story has been updated.

Three Israel Defense Forces soldiers were killed
Sunday evening in a shooting attack on a military
patrol in the area of the West Bank city of
Ramallah.



One other soldier was moderately
wounded in the attack close to
Road 60, near the settlement of
Ofra and the Arab village of
Ein Yabrud.

The three soldiers killed were
later named as Sergeant Elad
Polak, 19, from Kiryat Motzkin,
Sergeant Roi Ya'acov
Solomon, 21, from Tel Aviv and Staff Sergeant
Erez Idan, 20, from Rishon Letzion.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant
off-shoot of Palestinian Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed
responsibility for the attack.

[Darranar]

18. So the early report I read was correct...

Al Aqsa Brigades did claim responsibility.

Some of the other ones said that no one had. This is confirmation of the former.

Does anyoen have a chart showing civilian to combattant deaths caused by each terrorist organization? Not that it matters much, but it would be interesting to see...

[bemildred]

19. It would not do to read too much into it,

but the attackers seem to have given a good account of themselves,
or the defenders not. I would expect that questions are being
asked.

[tinnypriv]

20. See 'erased in a moment' by HRW