Israeli Forces Pound Arafat's Headquarters in Hebron for Second Day

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 27, 2002

Israeli Forces Pound Arafat's Headquarters in Hebron for Second Day

Israeli forces pounded Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Hebron for a second day Thursday in order to drive out a number of wanted militants, Palestinian sources said.

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Israeli forces pounded Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Hebron for a second day Thursday in order to drive out a number of wanted militants, Palestinian sources said.

Israeli helicopter fire and tank shells battered the hill-top compound housing Arafat's offices in the only key divided city of Palestinians and Israelis in the West Bank.

Israeli army counted some 20 Palestinian militants being holed up inside the building. The militants were members of a radical Tanzim group, linked to Arafat's mainstream Fatah faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization, according to Israeli sources.

In this week's "Operation Determined Path," Israeli troops retook seven of the eight major Palestinian cities in retaliation for the latest wave of suicide attacks, which left more than 30 Israelis dead.

Israeli army posed to reoccupy the self-ruled Palestinian areas in the West Bank to force an end to attacks against Israeli targets.

Amid continued Israeli operations, the Palestinian National Authority on Wednesday unveiled its schedule for next year's presidential, legislative and municipal elections, alongside a "100-day" reform plan.

Palestinian International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath has confirmed that Arafat will run for re-election in the campaign slated for January 10-20.

Arafat took a key step in reform Thursday by ordering police, preventive security and civil defence under the unified governing of the newly created interior ministry.

But Palestinian officials also warned that Israeli operations would hamper the PNA efforts to organize the democratic elections or carry out the reform plan.

In defiance of U.S. President George W. Bush's recent urge for anew and different Palestinian leadership, Arafat and his PNA calledelections and staged their reform plan with no real challenges to the current leadership from among the Palestinians.

Washington is to face a hard situation if Arafat really wins re-election, a possibility U.S. officials say they may have to respectthough they prefer otherwise.

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