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Israel Kills Four Hamas Terrorists

July 17, 2001

Israeli helicopter gunships killed four Palestinian terrorists Tuesday in a missile attack. The assault took place a half mile from the Church of the Nativity in Palestinian controlled Bethlehem.

The dead include three members of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas. An Israeli military official reported that the Hamas members were planning a terrorist attack in Jerusalem against the Jewish athletic competition known as the Maccabiah Games which began Monday and brought more than 3,000 Jewish athletes to Israel. The fourth dead terrorist was also suspected of being a member of Hamas. A fifth terrorist was injured.

The two Israeli Apache helicopters fired four missiles at the cement block chicken coop where the terrorists were hiding.

The Palestinian Authority denounced the attack and arrested five people suspected of helping the Israelis carry out the raid. The military wing of Hamas vowed to retaliate with a wave of suicide operations. "We promise our people revenge very soon," a Hamas statement said. "We call upon our people to continue the uprising until we achieve our rights."

After the air strike, Palestinians fired a mortar shell into Gilo, a Jewish settlement on the southern edge of Jerusalem. Israel forces fired back at the adjacent Palestinian village of Beit Jala.

Until now, Palestinian use of mortars has been limited mostly to the Gaza Strip.

Tuesday's attack was part of an Israeli policy of targeting terrorists. Palestinians accuse Israel of carrying out "assassinations," claiming that Israel has killed more than 30 terrorists since the Palestinian uprising began 10 months ago.

Israeli officials defend the policy action as self-defense, saying the policy of targeted attacks is necessary because the Palestinian Authority has failed to stop anti-Israeli terrorism. Israeli officials have reportedly provided lists of dozens of terrorists to the Palestinian Authority and demanded their arrest. But Palestinian security chiefs have balked at arresting Palestinians at Israel's behest.

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