<html>
<body>
<font size=3><br>
<b>Israel captures jailed Palestinians<br><br>
</b>Tuesday 14 March 2006 9:06 AM GMT <br><br>
<b>Six Palestinian fighters inside a West Bank prison in Jericho have
surrendered to Israeli forces, almost 10 hours after Israeli troops laid
siege to the compound.<br><br>
</b></font><font size=2>Among those who surrendered was Ahmed Saadat,
leader of a PLO faction and mastermind of the 2001 assassination of an
Israeli Cabinet minister, the Israeli military announced on
Tuesday.<br><br>
The main targets of the raid were Saadat and four accomplices in the
killing of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi. <br><br>
In addition, Israeli forces seized Fuad Shobaki, the mastermind of an
illegal weapons shipment to the Palestinian Authority several years
ago.<br><br>
Israel's West Bank commander, Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, said 15 others were
also arrested.<br><br>
Two Palestinian security officers were killed and 23 other people were
wounded in the raid.<br>
<br>
Earlier, Israeli troops took control of the prison compound in an
operation to arrest jailed Palestinian resistance leaders.<br><br>
Gunfire rang out and explosions rocked the area as Israeli forces
launched their raid on Tuesday. <br><br>
Bulldozers pulled down the compound as Israeli troops called through
loudspeakers on Ahmed Saadat, the leader of the leftist Popular Front for
the Liberation of Palestine, and his comrades to surrender.<br><br>
Saadat and three other PFLP members have been jailed in Jericho, a prison
under US and British supervision, since August 2002 after his faction
claimed the 2001 killing of far-right Israeli tourism minister Rehavam
Zeevi.<br><br>
But at least 150 Palestinian prisoners and guards gave themselves up,
Israeli military sources said. <br><br>
Gideon Ezra, Israeli public security minister, confirmed that troops were
on a mission to arrest the four PFLP members almost a week after Mahmoud
Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, reiterated that he was ready
to free Saadat.<br><br>
The slain guard was named by a Palestinian security source as Ibrahim Abu
al-Amin. He was shot dead inside the compound by Israeli
gunfire.<br><br>
<b>Attack sparks anger<br><br>
</b>The operation drew a furious response from Ismail Haniya, Hamas's
prime minister-designate, who criticised the "dangerous
escalation" and warned Israel against any attempt on the life of
Saadat and his comrades.<br><br>
The Israeli public security minister told public radio: "This
operation was ordered by the prime minister in the fight against
terrorism. We are committed to the murderers of minister Rehavam Zeevi
remaining behind bars." <br><br>
A spokesman for the Palestinian interior ministry in Gaza City said the
British and the Americans had left the premises shortly before the
operation began.<br><br>
"We have information that the British and Americans left the prison
this morning," Tawfiq Abu Khussa told AFP.<br><br>
"The Americans and British left 15 minutes before the operation
started. The Israelis asked the police and security forces to drop their
weapons and not resist. If they refused, they said they would assault the
compound," he said.<br><br>
"We warn Israel against any incursion in the prison because it is
under American and British control by international
agreement."<br><br>
<b>Israeli siege <br><br>
</b>Aljazeera's correspondent in Palestine Walid al-Umari quoted
witnesses as saying that about 20 Israeli military vehicles on Tuesday
surrounded the Palestinian presidential office and the Jericho
prison.<br><br>
The forces imposed a curfew on the area adjacent to the prison amid
intense shootings.<br>
<br>
"We have been informed that gunfire was heard in the area, but no
information whether the raid was targeting Saadat or surrounding the
headquarters where many Palestinian activists are present," al-Umari
said.<br><br>
<b>Demonstrations<br><br>
</b>
<img src="http://english.aljazeera.net/english/DialogBox/PrintPreview.aspx?NRORIGINALURLNR/rdonlyres/8F1D3402-082D-41DA-B3A3-863947BB2DA7/116358/CEC25CAEC17D47439872D755DD801EBA.jpg" alt="[]">
</b><br><br>
</font><font face="verdana" size=1><b>The jail houses top Palestinian
<br>
prisoner Ahmed Saadat (file)<br><br>
</b></font><font size=2>Mosques across Jericho called on citizens over
loudspeakers to flock to the muqataa to protect the soldiers and
prisoners inside the compound.<br><br>
There were also demonstrations across the West Bank and Gaza
Strip.<br><br>
Hamas leader-in-exile Khaled Meshaal warned Israel against harming
Saadat, saying it would be responsible for the consequences of its raid
on the prison. <br><br>
Speaking to Aljaazeera, Meshaal also called on Palestinians to rally
around the Jericho jail being bombarded by Israeli troops. <br><br>
"We condemn this Israeli crime and hold Israel responsible for any
consequences arising from this crime and warn them against harming Ahmed
Saadat... and all the prisoners in Jericho," said Meshaal.<br><br>
"I call on our people in Jericho to throng around the Jericho
prison," he added. <br><br>
Meshaal called on the United Nations, Muslim and Arab countries, and the
international community to "take urgent measures to stop this
crime".<br><br>
In a lecture at a women's gathering in West Bank on 7 March,
Mahmoud Abbas said he would not mind releasing Saadat if PFLP sent him a
written promise saying the movement would not hold the PA responsible for
anything that might happen to Saadat after his release. <br><br>
</font><font size=3><b>Aljazeera + Agencies<br>
By <br><br>
</b>You can find this article at:<br>
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8F1D3402-082D-41DA-B3A3-863947BB2DA7.htm" eudora="autourl">
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8F1D3402-082D-41DA-B3A3-863947BB2DA7.htm</a>
<br>
</font></body>
</html>