Three Palestinian civilians were killed last night and at least 17 wounded when Israeli helicopters fired missiles at a security building in the city of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said.
Two of the dead were identified as Said Abu Setta (40) and Yasser Hassan Abu Namus (26).The identity of the third victim was not immediately available.
Hospital officials said two of the 17 injured Palestinians - which included both police and civilians - were in a serious condition.
Late last night two Israeli gunships hovering over the Palestinian Authority's national security building fired three rockets at the site, causing severe damage to the building and several others in the vicinity.
A half-hour later the helicopters returned and fired two more rockets at the building, which is located in a residential part of the Khan Yuris in southern Gaza.
Earlier yesterday, Mohamed Abu Marahel (25) and Mohamed Salah (26) were shot dead when driving near the West Bank town of Tulkarem. The two men did not hear or ignored warning gunfire from a nearby Israeli checkpoint. They were from the Noseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, and there is no indication that they were political activists or extremists. Both were shot dead.
Israeli troops also shot three Palestinians near Nablus, one of who is in serious condition.
Their crime was to attempt to circumvent a checkpoint via a rough dirt track, a common practice among Palestinians who are prevented from travelling between West Bank towns by the Israelis.
The killings and shootings took place one day after two Palestinian boys were killed in a botched Israeli assassination attempt in Hebron. There were cries for revenge at the funeral of Burhan al Himuni (3) and Shadi Arafa (13).
Also yesterday two US-made Apache helicopters fired three missiles into a base of Force-17, Mr Yasser Arafat's personal guard corps.
The post, just 250 metres from Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, had served as a resting place for Force-17 soldiers waiting for Israeli permission to travel to the West Bank.
"Presidential Security, Force-17" says the arch over the entry to the small base. Faded, tattered Palestinian and Force-17 flags fly on the parched lawn. Capt Wajdi Athamna (24) emerged from the devastated barracks. "They attacked at 2.05 this morning," he said. "We heard the helicopters coming and ran away. We are very close to the President; he is a target and so are we."
Mr Nabil Abu Rudeina, an aide to Mr Arafat, called the attack on Force-17 "a dangerous escalation" and "proof that Israel wants to sabotage the mission of (the US envoy) Anthony Zinni".
Israel said the destruction of the base was retaliation for mortar fire that "slightly wounded" an Israeli girl on a settlement in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
