JERUSALEM – Israeli warplanes destroyed two Palestinian security buildings today after suicide bombers linked to Yasser Arafat’s paramilitary force killed four Israelis yesterday.
Witnesses said a missile from an Israeli plane blew up a security complex in a Gaza refugee camp, and F-16 planes blasted a police headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Also, two Palestinians were killed and nine were wounded today as Israeli soldiers tried to enter a Palestinian refugee camp near the town of Nablus on the West Bank.
Israeli officials said the attacks were in response to a rising wave of suicide attacks.
Yesterday, they said security forces had received nine “hot alerts” since Friday because of specific threats of suicide attacks.
After one of the alerts forced authorities to seal off the town of Jericho yesterday, two Israeli cops stopped a stolen car near the town of Maale Adumim, on the Jericho-Jerusalem highway.
The Palestinian driver got out, and as one of the officers approached him, the car exploded. Both the cop and driver died.
Later yesterday, at the entrance to Jewish settlements in Gaza, a Palestinian militant tossed grenades and fired a machine gun at a convoy of cars.
He blew himself up near one of the cars, apparently with explosives attached to his belt.
Three passengers, including a woman, were killed, and three other settlers were wounded.
Israeli officials said it was the fifth attempted suicide bombing against Israelis in 24 hours and the 12th incident involving would-be suicidal militants in 10 days.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group linked with Arafat’s Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for both of yesterday’s attacks.
Arafat blamed Israel for the violence and urged Palestinians to remain united.
“This people is mighty and steadfast, and together we will reach Jerusalem,” he said.