BESETZTE GEBIETE

Independent: As the world focuses on Iraq, the bodies pile up in Gaza

Is the Israeli military taking advantage of a time when the world is not paying attention to what is going on here, when media coverage is focusing on Iraq, to step up its campaign in the occupied territories?

In the past week, while the world's press focused on the UN security council and Baghdad, the violence has suddenly surged. In six days, at least 30 Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli operations, chiefly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank city of Nablus.

The dead have been a combination of unarmed civilians, armed militants, members of the legitimate Palestinian security forces and one a medic trying to reach a sick patient.

But this week's violence was not a response to a suicide bombing or an attack by Palestinian gunmen in Israel.

Saturday

A week of bloodshed began when Hamas militants succeeded in setting fire to an Israeli tank outside the Jewish settlement of Dugit in the Gaza Strip with a massive explosive charge hidden by the roadside. Desperate attempts by the Israeli army to put out the fire could not save four soldiers trapped inside. Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defence Minister, promised Israel would "strike hard at our enemy Hamas".

Sunday

Six Hamas militants were killed in a mysterious explosion in the Gaza Strip. Hamas said they were trying to adapt a model aeroplane they had obtained from across the fence in Israel to carry explosives for use in attacks, and accused the Israeli military of booby-trapping the aeroplane and murdering the men. The Israeli army did not comment on their deaths.

The same day, Tayseer Khalil, a representative of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a PLO faction that does not support attacks on Israeli civilians, was arrested by soldiers in Nablus. Palestinian gunmen fired on the soldiers trying to arrest him and four Palestinians were killed in the gun battle. Palestinian witnesses claimed the dead men were civilians, not gunmen.

Monday

Hamas activist, Riyad abu Zeid, was killed when undercover Israeli soldiers hiding in a vegetable van ambushed his car on the Gaza coast road. The Israeli army claimed the soldiers intended to capture Mr abu Zeid and opened fire when they saw him reach for his gun. Palestinians accused the army of assassinating him.

In the past the Israeli army has openly admitted a policy of assassinating Palestinian militants. "I can't be certain," said Mr Yavne of B'Tselem, "but I have noticed over the last few months the army has claimed a lot more people have been killed while trying to escape." On the same day, 35 Israeli tanks and helicopters entered the Gaza Strip and soldiers demolished the house of Ahmad Ghadnour, another Hamas militant. Two Palestinians were killed in the gun battle as militants attacked the soldiers, one reportedly a suspected militant, the other a Palestinian policeman, legitimately armed under the Oslo peace accords.

Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper reported that the Israeli army was starting a new offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that instead of reoccupying the densely populated strip, as it has cities in the West Bank, it would stick to assassinations and raids.

Tuesday

Mohammed al-Mur became the eighth Hamas activist to be killed in three days when he was shot by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Yatta, near Hebron. The Israeli army said he had barricaded himself in his house and soldiers opened fire because they believed he was armed. But his uncle, Mahmoud, said the soldiers shot him without provocation. "He ran away and they shot him in the leg," he said. "He carried on to another house. There, the soldiers shot him dead." The same day the Israeli army swept back into the old city of Nablus, searching house by house for militants and arms caches.

Wednesday

On the bloodiest day of the week, 11 Palestinians died in an Israeli incursion into Gaza City. The dead included Mundur Safadi, a Palestinian medic shot dead as he accompanied his brother, Dr Ra'ed Safadi, who was trying to reach a patient with heart problems. According to Dr Safadi, who was injured, they were deliberately shot by a sniper.

They also included three young men killed when the Israeli army demolished two buildings, according to Palestinian witnesses, who said the men had evacuated the buildings when ordered to by the Israeli army, but returned too soon to a third building next door, which was also damaged. Accounts of how the three died differed – some said there was a second explosion at the building, others that a helicopter fired at them – but there was a smear of blood amid the ruins.

The Israeli army said the aim of the incursion was to destroy metal workshops it claimed were used by Hamas to build rockets to fire at Israeli towns. That evening Hamas fired three rockets at the nearby town of Sderot, injuring three Israelis.

The dead in the raid also included two Hamas militants and one from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who were killed in fighting, and three members of Palestinian intelligence, a legitimate security force, killed when their car was hit by machine-gunfire.

The same day in Nablus, 93-year-old Mustafa abu Safieh accused an Israeli soldier of shooting his son Nasser dead in cold blood. Mr abu Safieh said they were stopped and searched by soldiers, then told to move on. As they moved away a soldier killed his son. The Israeli said he was shot dead because he did not halt when ordered to.

A second Palestinian was shot dead throwing stones at soldiers, according to Palestinians. The army said he threw a firebomb. Also in Nablus, a Welsh medical volunteer, Anne Gwynne, 65, said an Israeli soldier deliberately fired at her and a Palestinian ambulance driver she was accompanying.

Thursday

In Nablus, 61-year-old Ahmad abu Zahra and his 17-year-old grandson of the same name were shot dead while on the streets of Nablus old city during a curfew, according to Palestinian witnesses.

Friday

Yesterday two Palestinians were killed in attempted attacks in Gaza, both claimed by Islamic Jihad. One tried to throw grenades at soldiers, the other tried to break into the Jewish settlement of Dugit.

Tens of thousands joined the funeral of Riyad abu Zeid, vowing to avenge the 30 deaths. "Sharon, prepare the coffins," they shouted. "Revenge is coming soon, in Tel Aviv and Jaffa."