A 17-year-old girl from Ginot Shomron was wounded late last night in a terrorist shooting attack near Yitzhar, just south of Shechem. She was brought to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba in moderate condition, but she is now listed in light condition, and may even be released from the hospital tomorrow. Several kilometers to the west, shots were directed at an Israeli vehicle near Chomesh and Sa-Nur; no one was hurt but the car was damaged.

Despite the attacks, the army removed the closure from around Shechem. The closure was imposed last week after the two fatal terrorist attacks in Rosh HaAyin and Ariel, the perpetrators of which came from Shechem.

Later today, terrorists fired at Gush Katif municipal workers putting up a fence near Moshav Katif. No one was hurt. Palestinian terrorism in Gaza has increased of late, IDF sources say, from an average of 1- 2 per day last week to 6-7 this week. Islamic Jihad now has a rocket similar to Hamas´ Kassam - but it is not quite completed. Three samples were fired from Gaza towards Sderot over the weekend, but they either exploded on takeoff or fell inside PA territory.

Tzila (bat Rina) Hayoun, 39, is still in serious condition in Jerusalem´s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. She is the Har Gilo resident who was wounded two weeks ago in a terrorist shooting attack in southern Jerusalem. Seven bullets hit her in the stomach; she has been operated on several times, and is mostly unconscious. Her nine- year old daughter was hurt less seriously in the attack.

Jerusalem city officials razed two illegal Arab structures in the Atarot neighborhood this morning. (IsraelNationalNews © 08/18/03)