Palestinian Militants Kill 5 Israelis in Gaza

 

Ross Dunn

Palestinian gunmen have killed a pregnant Israeli woman and her four children in an attack near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. Observers say the killings¹ could influence the outcome of Sunday's referendum of the ruling Likud Party on a plan to have Israel withdraw from the territory and parts of the West Bank.

The gunmen launched their deadly ambush² as the Israeli woman was driving with her children on a road that leads to the Gaza Strip settlement of Gush³ Katif. Everyone in the car reportedly died instantly in the hail of automatic gunfire.

The attackers set off an explosive charge at a nearby Israeli army post, but troops were able to give chase. They intercepted⁵ and killed two Palestinians in a gun battle.

Israel called the ambush a massacre⁶ and accused Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Palestinian armed groups of trying to turn Likud Party voters against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza.

Israeli spokesman Avi Pazner says the attack was the slaughter⁷ of "innocent children."

Two Palestinian groups claimed responsibility for the killings - the Islamic Jihad, listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization, and the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group responsible for other attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The ambush came just as voting began among nearly 200,000 Likud members on Mr. Sharon's proposals for Israel to unilaterally withdraw all Jewish settlements and troops from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank.

Observers note that even before Sunday's ambush, there were many in the Likud who firmly opposed the Sharon plan.

Among them is Uzi Landau, a Likud member of Mr. Sharon's cabinet, who says the Sunday's attack only serves to strengthen the case against Israel giving away more territory to the Palestinians.

"The risks are enormous. There are no gains. Only terrorists are gaining from it.”
Mr. Sharon, once hailed as one of the biggest supporters of the Jewish settler movement, says he no longer accepts that Jews have a right to settle in Gaza.

He says the evacuation is necessary for the sake of Israel's overall security.

As Likud voters cast their ballots⁸ at more than 400 polling booths across the country, he warned that a rejection⁹ of his plan in the referendum could place Israel's future at risk.
注释:
Jewish [5dVu(:)iF] adj. 犹太人的
Gaza Strip 加沙地带
ambush [5AmbuF] n. 埋伏
Gush Katif 古什卡蒂夫，犹太人定居区
instantly [5instEntli] adv. 立即
chase [tFeis] n. 追击
intercept⁴ [intE5sept] vt. 截击
massacre [5mAsEkE] n. 大屠杀
pull out 撤离
slaughter [5slC:tE(r)] vt. 屠杀，杀戮
Islamic Jihad 伊斯兰圣战组织
Popular Resistance Committees 人民抵抗委员会
gain [^ein] n. 利益
evacuation [i7vAkju5eiFEn] n. 撤退
polling booth n. 投票站

 

1 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

2 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

3 gush   

v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发

参考例句：

• There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。
• There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时，一股鲜血涌了出来。

4 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

5 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

6 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

7 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。