15 Palestinians die in Israeli revenge attacks

Israeli soldiers have killed 15 Palestinians in a wave of revenge attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip today.

Helicopter gunships launched eight missiles at a police building in Ramallah, including one which struck the compound where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been under virtual house arrest for more than two months.

Mr Arafat escaped uninjured. His compound in Gaza City was also hit as the Israeli army launched attacks by air, land and sea in retaliation for the killing of six Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank last night.

All were shot at close range by gunmen linked to Mr Arafat’s Fatah movement.

Last night’s shooting was one of the deadliest attacks on the Israeli army since the latest Palestinian uprising began in September 2000.

Marwan Barghouti, a Fatah leader in the West Bank, said the ambush was one of the Palestinians "most successful" operations in recent times.

However, 15 Palestinians, including 12 policemen, were killed in the Israeli reprisals.

Four people died in attacks in Gaza, seven when Israeli tanks shelled two Palestinian checkpoints near Nablus, two in a gunfight outside the Balata refugee camp, one in an air strike on a Palestinian police post in Ramallah and one in a gunbattle near Ramallah.

The past week has been one of the bloodiest in 17 months of fighting between the Israelis and the Palestinians, with a total of 60 people being killed.

15 of those were Israelis, including 11 soldiers, one policeman and three civilians, while 45 were Palestinians, including nine civilians, 22 members of the security forces and 12 militants.

Abdel Rahman, an aide to Mr Arafat, said the Palestinian Authority remains opposed to groups launching attacks on Israel, but he stressed that the resistance will continue as long as Israel retains control over Palestinian land.

"The Palestinian people have a legitimate right to resist, which will not stop without ending the occupation," he said.