AFP
Palestinian killed in Gaza as Kerry vows no reprieve for Arafat
Date: Sunday October 10
GAZA CITY (AFP) - A Palestinian was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, as US Democrat presidential hopeful John Kerry warned that if he wins the November 2 election there will be no reprieve for sidelined Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Hospital sources said one Palestinian was killed and three others were wounded in the Israeli strike on a house in the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jabaliya, the focus of a punishing military offensive launched 12 days ago.
They said the house was destroyed but could not identify the victims.
A Palestinian wounded in an Israeli air raid on October 1 in Jabaliya also died of his injuries on Sunday, hospital sources said.
Sunday's deaths brought to 107 the number of Palestinians killed during Israel's "Days of Penitence" operation launched on September 28 that is aimed at halting militant rocket attacks on Israel.
Six Palestinians were also injured, three of them critically, when Israeli attack helicopters carried out two air raids in Jabaliya late Saturday, according to Palestinian medical sources.
Since the start of the intifada or Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in September 2000, a total of 4,471 people have been killed, including 3,443 Palestinians and 954 Israelis.
The Gaza offensive has triggered international concern but an Arab-backed UN Security Council resolution calling on Israel to withdraw its forces was vetoed by its top ally, the United States.
Washington, like Israel, is refusing to deal with Arafat, and presidential hopeful Kerry entered the debate by warning that if he won next month's election there would be no reprieve for the veteran Palestinian leader.
"We have been at this for a long time. Mr Arafat has proven his unwillingness and incapacity to be be able to act as a legitimate partner in the peace process," Kerry said in a Florida campaign rally on Saturday.
Kerry also said his job if elected would be to "hold those Arab countries accountable that still support terrorists, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Aqsa Brigades, and others."
The Democrat hopeful also praised Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for his "courageous" plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip next year.
Speaking two days after bombings at two Egyptian Red Sea resorts that killed at least 34 people, most of them Israelis, Kerry warned that the Jewish state under attack.
"People are trying to continue to create havoc... Israel remains under assault, kids blown up on buses, people sitting at restaurants, trying to live their lives," Kerry said.
"I will not give one inch in our efforts to do that."
President George W. Bush has riled US allies in Europe and the Middle East by refusing to deal with Arafat, saying he had links to terrorism and could not be trusted to make peace.
On Friday, in the second presidential debate Bush repeated his stern line on the Palestinian leader.
"I wouldn't deal with Arafat because I felt like he had let the former president down and I don't think he's the kind of person that can lead toward a Palestinian state," Bush said.
"People in Europe didn't like that decision," he said.
"But it was the right thing to do. I believe Palestinians ought to have a state, but I know they need leadership that's committed to a democracy and freedom, leadership that would be willing to reject terrorism."
Kerry said the proper posture for a US president was to help create conditions which would allow Palestinian leaders to emerge who could be trusted to build peace with Israel.
But he did not offer specifics on how his plan would differ from that of Bush, who amid escalating Israel-Palestinian violence has steered clear of playing the active role of his predecessor Bill Clinton.
Sharon on Sunday condemned what he called the "inflammatory reactions at the heart of the Palestinian leadership" at Thursday's Sinai bomb blasts.
Sharon was referring to comments made after the blasts by Arafat's top aide Nabil Abu Rudeina, who said that "the continuation of Israel's occupation and aggressions fuel the world's anger."
"As long as the occupation continues, it won't be possible to eradicate terrorism and violence," Abu Rudeina said.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, meanwhile, is due in Italy Monday for talks on the Palestinian territories, as well as the fight against terrorism, Iraq, clandestine immigration and the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.
SOURCE
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