25 others, news reports said Thursday, September 26.
Israel’s military sources were quoted as saying the attack targeted the head of the militant group in Gaza, Mohammed Deif, the Voice of America (VOA) reported. Hamas said he was still alive.
The attacks came as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended Israel’s continuing siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s headquarters in Ramallah, despite a United Nations resolution condemning it, the Jerusalem Post reported Thursday, September 26.
"GROUP OF MURDERERS"
Sharon described some of those holed up inside the compound "a group of murderers" and "the biggest terrorists that exist." Several Palestinian Christians have expressed concern about these policies, but other believers seem to support the Prime Minister.
Since this weekend, thousands of Christians from dozens of countries are participating in a week-long Feast of Tabernacles, which also included a solidarity march for Israel.
The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) said earlier that "praises and peace replaced the usual commotion of salesmen and vendors at Jaffa Gate Tuesday" September 24 as Christians reached the gates of Jerusalem’s Old City.
HEBREW SONGS
"Singing in English and Hebrew, Christian marchers ended a mile long route within the gates of Jerusalem with prayerful songs of worship," the ICEJ News Service reported.
At least 3,500 Christian pilgrims were said to have joined 12,000 Israelis and other groups to swarm the streets of Jerusalem, to the Jewish state. Critics have said that both Jews and Palestinians need Christ, and that preaching the Gospel, not politics, should be the focus of pro-Israel Christians.
However 20-year old Elisabeth Carlsson from Styria, Austria, seemed to shrug off these criticism. "We want to show also that Austrian Christians love Israel. Many people speak about the errors Germany made, but the Austrian people were also guilty against the Jewish people," she told the ICEJ News Service.
PEE KOELEWIJN
It was a sentiment shared by Pee Koelewijn, a Christian pro-Israel Dutch activist who helped 70,000 Ukrainian and Ethiopian Jews immigrate to Israel. Koelewijn, who died earlier this month at age 62, told reporters recently that Christians must show solidarity at a time of growing anti-Semitism.
"Through the centuries, Jews have suffered enormously, also in the Christian world. But through our work, they see that there are also Christians who love them, because they believe from the bible that Israel is the chosen people," he said.
As she walked through Jerusalem, Carlsson suggested that Christians should come to Jerusalem, despite threats of terror attacks. "I know that it is possible, but I know that when I am living I am living for Yeshua, but in dying, I’m with him too," she was quoted as saying.
WAVING FLAGS
The ICEJ pilgrims, waving flags and banners, reportedly represented 70 countries. It was unclear if any Palestinian Christians participated in the ceremony, at a time when Israeli troops are imposing curfews across Palestinian territories.
As tensions continue, there is growing concern about the impact of the conflict on children and other civilians. In the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian doctors said a 14-month-old baby choked to death after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops re-imposing a curfew, news reports said, Thursday September 26.
The latest violence came after at least 9 Palestinians died earlier in the week in what has been called Israel’s’ bloodiest ground operation since the Palestinian uprising began two years ago.
