Around The Clock Coverage

Latest Update: Arafat completely cut off; French activists leave Arafat’s office; new invasions; Peres says invasion may end next week; Ahmed Yassin says Arafat will not yield to US pressure; death toll up to 36; attack on settlement in Rafah; details inside..

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Around the Clock Update:

News update from 1 AM GMT to 8:30 AM GMT:

Death toll up to 36: The number of Palestinians who were killed since yesterday have reportedly increased to 34, including a child. 20 of the dead fell in the city of Nablus alone. Nablus is the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank. Several Palestinian villages were invaded today, including Kabatia and Tubas in the West Bank. More Israeli tanks have been amassing near the Jenin border.

Arafat completely cut off : Palestinian sources say that all lines of communication have been cut off by Israel with PA President Yasser Arafat. Electricity has again been cut off from his office. Meanwhile gunfire and sound bombs were heard echoing near President Arafat’s office. Palestinians are worried that Israel might be planning to raid Arafat’s office today.

attack on settlement in Rafah : Two Palestinians were killed today when they penetrated into a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip, near the southern town of Rafah. A clash was sparked at the settlement where also four settlers were wounded.

French activists leave Arafat’s office : After negotiations between the French embassy and Israel, seven of the French activists who were staying in Arafat’s office were evacuated. Several others however, decided to remain. Over 35 international activists broke the Israeli siege around Arafat’s office a few days ago and have remained with him ever since.

New invasions: New Israeli invasions took place early this morning. Large Israeli forces took over the villages of Yatta and Fwar, near Hebron and a village near Tulkaram, and another near Jenin. Two Palestinian fighters died in the Yatta invasion.

Peres says invasion may end next week: Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said in an interview published in Paris that the Israeli army's offensive in Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank could end as early as next week. Peres told the Figaro newspaper that US Secretary of State Colin Powell would not arrive in Israel until the second half of next week. Peres defended Israel’s delay in withdrawing from the West Bank saying Bush “didn't say that the army had to withdraw immediately. He said he wanted it to withdraw, but he understood the need for Israel to defend itself.”

Ahmed Yassin says Arafat will not yield to US pressure: The spiritual head of the Islamic movement Hamas, Ahmed Yassin, rejected Friday US peace moves in the Middle East, saying neither the "resistance" nor Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would yield.


News Update from 6:30 PM GMT to 12:00 AM GMT:

Massacre underway in Jenin: Palestinian sources confirmed that Israel is committing a massacre in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. Death toll in the camp, following repeated Israeli attempts to enter the area has rose by the hour. Medical sources are unable to confirm the exact number of dead, but they say that dozens have been killed or wounded, mostly without any medical attention. Eyewitnesses say that over 30 bleeding Palestinian, in one spot in the camp are denied medical attention.