Israeli and Palestinian reaction to Gaza incursion

(26 Jan 2003) Jerusalem 1. Exterior of Israeli Prime Minister's Ariel building 2. Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz walking up stairs 3. Israeli Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walking up stairs 4. Israeli Communication Minister walking up stairs. 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Reuven (or Rubi) Rivlin, Israeli Minister of Communication "Well, you very well know that on Friday, the Palestinian terrorists released rockets to one of the Israeli towns, Stedarot. And of course, Israel has to react and that was yesterday. They have to know. They have to pay the price once they are shelling with bombs our towns, we have to retaliate." 6. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon walking into meeting room. 7. Israeli cabinet meeting. 8. Netanyahu seated next to Sharon Ramallah 9. Walking shot of Yasser Abed Rabbo, Palestinian Information Minister in Ramallah. 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasser Abed Rabbo, Palestinian Information Minister "It is quite obvious that this is the election card with which Sharon intends to continue his election campaign. He wants to escalate, to commit more war crimes and to continue the attacks against civilian area. Those who were targeted in Gaza yesterday were civilians of Gaza and the houses and the factories which produce civilian products for the people of Gaza." Gaza 8. Various of bodies being carried through streets, surrounded by Palestinians mourners chanting and firing weapons into air. 9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ismail Hanya, Hamas spokesperson in Gaza "This bad massacre that Sharon did makes clear that this enemy does not understand any language except the language of power and the language of blood and for that Hamas and all the Palestinian people are insisting on continuing the intifada." El Hader, near Bethlehem 10. Various of Israeli soldiers inspecting roadside with remains of donkey killed by explosives. STORYLINE The Israeli cabinet convened on Sunday, hours after Israeli forces with tanks and helicopters moved deep into Gaza City, killing 12 Palestinians in exchanges of fire. The large-scale assault came just two days before Israel's election. The death toll was the highest in a single day in Gaza in five months and the incursion was the deepest into Gaza City in more than two years of fighting. Tanks were seen a kilometre (half a mile) from Palestine Square, which marks the centre of the city of about 300-thousand. Twelve Palestinians were killed and 51 wounded, eight critically, according to hospital officials. It was the bloodiest day in the Gaza Strip since August, when 13 people were killed in an Israeli attack on the southern city of Khan Younis. Casualties were taken to Gaza's Shifa Hospital in cars and ambulances. Israeli Information Minister Reuven Rivlin said the overnight incursion was in retaliation to rockets launched from Gaza City toward an Israeli town on Saturday. But Palestinian cabinet minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the attack was politically motivated and accused Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of playing "the election card". In the past, hardline parties like Sharon's Likud have benefited from Israeli retaliations, as voters seek a tough response. Hours after the raid, the bodies of some of the Palestinians killed in the overnight attack were carried through the streets by Palestinians chanting and firing guns in the air. And a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza said the incursion proved that Israel "does not understand any language except the language of power and the language of blood". He said for this reason the intifada would continue. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...