Five Palestinians killed in refugee camp raid

ISRAELI forces backed by tanks and helicopters killed at least five Palestinians in the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

One Israeli soldier was killed in the assault, which was one of the largest operations in 30 months of fighting. It began late on Saturday and ended yesterday.

The army destroyed two tunnels used for smuggling weapons under the Gaza-Egypt border and blew up the house of Mahmoud Abu Shamala, a leader in the militant Hamas group, the military said.

In response, Palestinian militants fired three Qassam rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot. One landed on an apartment building, wounding one woman, local official Pinchas Yosef Cohen said.

In a separate clash yesterday near the West Bank town of Qalqilya, troops shot and killed Abderrahman Abed, 15, who witnesses said was with a group throwing stones and firebombs at troops.

The violence came as Palestinian leaders tried to find a compromise that would allow their Prime Minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas win parliamentary approval for his cabinet by a Wednesday deadline. If leaders fail to meet the deadline, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat will likely appoint another senior member of the Fatah Party, his political movement.

Mr Abbas and Mr Arafat held separate talks Sunday with members of Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian legislature.

Mr Abbas stormed out of a meeting with Mr Arafat on Saturday after they disagreed over the makeup of the cabinet.

Mr Abbas and Mr Arafat have been at odds over the role of former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan, tapped by Mr Abbas as minister of state for internal affairs. The minister would have some control over security matters.

Security is key to a US-backed peace plan toward ending violence and establishing a Palestinian state, which is to be unveiled as soon as Mr Abbas, who is widely known as Abu Mazen, takes office.

But some observers yesterday said he might fail to form a government.

“There is a very big chance ... Abu Mazen will not succeed,” Palestinian legislator Soufian Abu Zaida said.

An official present at Saturday’s meeting said Mr Abbas threatened to resign unless his cabinet choices were approved. His resignation would be a major setback for efforts to end 30 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

The United States and Israel, which have been boycotting Mr Arafat, have expressed willingness to work with Mr Abbas, who has called the violent conflict a mistake. Despite the political manouevring, however, 11 Palestinians and an Israeli were killed over the weekend.

In the incursion into the crowded Rafah camp, a 15-year-old boy, three men in their 20s and a policeman were killed, Palestinian doctors said.

One soldier, a military cameraman, was killed by a Palestinian sniper, the army said.

Israeli forces penetrated Rafah from three directions, using more than 35 tanks and armoured personnel carriers, bulldozers and jeeps. Five attack helicopters circled above, flashing spotlights above the camp, where about 60,000 people live.