Palestinian rift with United States deepens
Israel's use of American-made warplanes in the Middle East conflict has brought new charges from Palestinians that the US Government is leaning heavily in Israel's favour.
Late on Sunday, Israeli helicopters attacked a Palestinian police station in the West Bank town of Tulkarem, and tanks shelled police posts near Ramallah.
The military said the attacks were retaliation for road ambushes in which four Israelis were killed.
US-made F-15 and F-16 warplanes dropped bombs on Palestinian police headquarters in Gaza City and Dir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip and Salfit in the West Bank.
In Gaza City, Palestinians showed a metal fragment with the name of a US-made bomb.
Just before the air raid, Israeli tanks shelled another police post on the Gaza-Egypt border.
A Palestinian policeman was killed and 18 others injured in the raids.
In all, 10 people died in the violence over the weekend, seven Israelis and three Palestinians.
Two of the deaths came on Sunday, when an Israeli was fatally shot as he made a business transaction with a Palestinian at the edge of the West Bank and a young Palestinian was killed in unclear circumstances at the north end of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrawi denounced Israel's use of American weapons at a news conference, saying she wondered whether the American public knew that "Israel is using American weapons against human rights".
Responding, Israeli Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said: "I don't have to justify it. It's a clear move that you take in order to respond to acts of terror."
A US official said the State Department monitors the use of US weapons to ensure they are used according to the terms of transfer under American law which requires them to be used for security and self-defence.
