Palestinian Suicide Bombers

It is written all over the walls in Gaza. In vivid reds, blues and yellows, in murals and sweeping Arabic script, the graffiti celebrates suicide bombers as heroes, along with other Palestinian fighters. Their attacks are called martyrdom operations. In the West, suicide bombings are generally viewed as expressions of religious madness, or just plain terrorism. In Israel these attacks have left people full of fear and despair. But whatever else they are, for Palestinian extremist groups suicide bombings have become a political weapon in the struggle against Israel.

Palestinian young people are lining up to hit back at Israel as hard as they can. Community activists are trying to channel that frustration and anger in a different direction. At a cultural centre in the town of Khan Younis they offer children games, computers and art. Like the militants, most here describe suicide bombings as an attempt to increase the cost of the conflict for Israel. "We want to put fear inside the Israelis," says Muhammad, "so they can feel that there is a Palestinian society
demanding its rights." Articulate and polite, they reject Western charges of terrorism. "The purpose of suicide bombing is to put pressure on the Israeli Government," says Youssef. "So that it will understand there is a nation growing up. The killing in itself is not the main aim."

The death of children raises the strongest emotions in this conflict. It is not just the effect on Palestinian children - it is also Israeli children who have been killed in suicide attacks. Hamas insists they are not a target. "Hamas operations are not directed and have never been directed against children," says Hamas political leader Ismail Abu Shanaab. "It is directed at military targets."

The Israeli Government holds Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority responsible for the suicide attacks. They argue that the Palestinian leader must use his police force to arrest the extremists and bring the suicide bombings to an end. Arafat says he is trying, but the Israelis say that it is not working. As a result, the Israelis take their own steps to stop suicide bombings. They occupy Palestinian towns, arrest extremist Palestinians and attack the Ramalah headquarters of Yasser Arafat.