| Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a "war on terror" and said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was directly responsible for attacks on Israel over the weekend. "We are in a war - it's either Israel or Arafat," Sharon told The New York Post before boarding a plane back to Jerusalem from New York. Israeli Air Force attack helicopters fired at least 14 air-to-surface missiles at Palestinian Authority targets in the Gaza Strip. The IAF helicopters directed heavy machine gun fire at the PA air force facility. Missiles hit two of Arafat's four personal helicopters on a landing pad and buildings in a compound that houses offices of the elite Force 17 presidential guard and other Palestinian security units. Palestinian security personnel ran away from the area under attack as eight helicopters hovered over the city. PA forces directed anti-aircraft fire at the IAF helicopters but none were hit. Al-Jazeera reports Arafat's personal residence was also hit in the strike. However an Israeli spokesman said Arafat's home was not targeted in the strike. IAF also hit targets in the West Bank city of Jenin. Palestinian Authority officials have asked the United States to halt the Israeli strikes, or else PA security forces will release all militant extremists they have arrested in the past day or so. Arafat called for Qatar to convene an urgent summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference which it chairs, following the Israeli raids. Arafat briefed Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, on the "Israeli aggression against the Israeli territories", and asked that his fat be hauled from the fire. |