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February 16, 2001/Shevet 23, 5761, Vol. 53, No.20
Violence stepped up
NAOMI SEGAL
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
JERUSALEM - The Palestinians appear determined to guarantee that Ariel Sharon does not enjoy a honeymoon.
Just as Israeli security officials predicted, Palestinian violence has surged since Sharon's victory in prime ministerial elections last week. On Feb. 13, gun battles raged between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen, and Israel assassinated a Palestinian security official in a pinpoint helicopter attack in the Gaza Strip.
Missiles destroyed the car in which Massoud Ayyad, 54, was traveling. A member of Yasser Arafat's Force 17 bodyguard unit, Ayyad had been recruited by Hezbollah in Lebanon to carry out attacks against Israel from inside the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli officials said.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Ayyad had been involved in arms and drug smuggling in Lebanon, where he was recruited by the Shi'ite group.
An Israel Defense Force spokesman said Ayyad headed a terrorist cell whose activities included recent mortar attacks on the Jewish settlement of Netzarim and plans to kidnap Israelis.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the killing, the first assassination of a Palestinian figure since Thabet Thabet, a dentist and Tanzim militia leader, was killed at the end of December.
In other violence Feb. 13, Palestinians claimed a 13-year-old boy was shot in the chest and killed by Israeli fire near the Netzarim junction in the Gaza Strip. The IDF denied involvement in the incident.
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