2007年VOA标准英语-Palestinian Violence Escalates in Gaza Strip

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
15 May 2007

Factional fighting in the Gaza Strip has killed 16 people, including eight in one incident when Hamas and Fatah gunmen clashed near a border crossing with Israel. More than 20 Palestinians have died in several days of factional fighting, threatening the unity¹ government. Hamas militants³ also fired a barrage⁴ of rockets into southern Israel, wounding several people. VOA's Jim Teeple reports from Jerusalem.

 

When Fatah security forces rushed to reinforce the base, they were ambushed⁵. It is the most serious outbreak of violence since Hamas and Fatah agreed to form a unity government two months ago.

Israeli troops on the border also fired on Palestinians who got too close to the border during the incident. One Palestinian gunmen was reportedly killed by the Israeli fire.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (File)

Speaking a short while later Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appealed for calm.

Mr. Abbas says it is time for the immediate⁶ implementation⁷ of a security plan that both Hamas and Fatah have agreed to, saying under the plan, gunmen from both factions⁸ will operate under a joint⁹ Hamas-Fatah command.

Fighting escalated¹⁰ just one day after the Palestinian Interior Minister resigned saying he was powerless to stop the violence.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a leading Hamas militant², has been given temporary control of the Interior Ministry¹¹. Spokesman Ghazi Hamad says stopping the violence is a top priority of the Palestinian leadership.

"The president has given orders to all security forces to withdraw from the streets and I think Hamas and Fatah have both given orders to their elements to stop all military conflict," he said.

There are about 80,000 gunmen in the Palestinian territories loyal to either Hamas or Fatah.

The violence flared¹² on what many Palestinians call the al-Naqba - or the catastrophe¹³ - the day they mark as an anniversary for the loss of their homeland in 1948.

About 700,000 Palestinians became refugees in May of 1948, after Israel declared its independence, and a coalition¹⁴ of Arab armies attacked the new Jewish state.

Hamas gunmen using rockets, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy weapons, attacked a Fatah training base near the Karni crossing - the main cargo¹⁵ crossing point between Israel and the Gaza Strip. The base was established as part of a U.S. funded effort to help train Palestinian border guards at the crossing.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 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。

3 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。

4 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

5 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

7 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

8 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

9 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

10 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

13 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

14 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

15 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。