2006年VOA标准英语-Fierce Gun Battles Break Out in Northern Gaza

By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
07 July 2006

There has been fierce fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as an Israeli ground offensive against Palestinian militants² continues. At least 24 Palestinians, mostly militants, and an Israeli soldier have been killed since Thursday.

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An Israeli soldier exits an armored personnel carrier during a military operation in the Gaza Strip
  
Israeli troops are fighting pitched battles with Palestinian gunmen on the streets of northern Gaza. The gunmen, armed with rifles, anti-tank missiles and rocket propelled grenades are no match for Israeli tanks and helicopters.

Israeli forces have deployed³ on the ruins of three Jewish settlements, which Israel abandoned 11 months ago. Israeli Defense⁴ Minister Amir Peretz said Israel left Gaza and has no intention of staying there.

"We will not sink into the Gaza quagmire," Peretz told troops on the front line. But he said Israel would respond harshly to attacks on its sovereign territory.

The army launched the operation to stop weeks of Palestinian rocket attacks that have terrorized Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Israel is also pressuring the Palestinian government, led by the Islamic militant¹ group Hamas, to release a soldier who was kidnapped from an army base nearly two weeks ago.

"He was taken out of his outpost walking, he will be returning to us walking, alive, and safely back to his family," said Israeli spokesman Ra'anan Gissin.

Hamas gunmen holding the 19-year-old corporal say he won't be freed unless Israel releases hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, but Israel has refused.

The Palestinians are appealing to the international community to stop the Israeli assault, describing it as a "crime against humanity."

"We hope and we urge the American administration to interfere⁵ in order to stop this kind of escalation," said Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Redeineh.

Israel says the operation could last days or weeks, depending on the Palestinian response.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。