Four Palestinians, one Israeli dead as violence greets start of Abbas era

Four Palestinians, one Israeli dead as violence greets start of Abbas era

AFP
Date: 01-12-05

MORAG SETTLEMENT Gaza Strip (AFP) - Four Palestinian militants and an Israeli settler were killed in a spike of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, puncturing the optimism that has greeted the election of a new Palestinian leader.

The settlers and two members of the hardline Islamic Jihad organisation were killed in the attack on the isolated settlement of Morag in southern Gaza, one of 21 due to be dismantled later this year.

Two Hamas militants were killed in a shoot-out near Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The violence was the worst incident since moderate former prime minister Mahmud Abbas, who has repeatedly called for end to the armed struggle, was elected president of the Palestinian Authority by a landslide on Sunday.

The settler was killed when a military jeep ran over at least one explosive device near the greenhouses inside Morag.

"Three terrorists entered Morag in the morning and laid at least four explosive devices. A jeep ran over at least one device, killing an Israeli civilian and injuring three soldiers," an army spokesman said.

Immediately after the blast, two of the attackers were gunned down during an exchange of fire with troops who rushed to the area. The third fled unharmed, the spokesman said.

Jihad, which claimed responsibility for the attack in a phone call to AFP, said two of its members who had taken part in the operation were killed.

In the West Bank, another two militants were killed early Wednesday during an exchange of fire with troops in a village north of Ramallah.

Palestinian security officials said the two Hamas members died when Israeli troops raided a house in Qarawat Banizeid village.

Abbas has been trying to persuade Hamas and Jihad to call a halt to their campaign of anti-Israeli attacks, as well as condemning their frequent rocket attacks unleashed from the Gaza Strip.

Israel's head of military intelligence, General Aharon Zeevi, said Wednesday Abbas would be unable to fulfill demands to disarm the militants.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) will not try to confiscate the illegally held weapons, he will not take on Hamas," Zeevi said in comments broadcast on public radio.

"Abu Mazen will try to convince (Hamas) and appeal to Palestinian public opinion to put pressure on the terrorists by explaining that this generation has suffered enough."

Israeli officials have repeatedly demanded that the Palestinian leadership crack down on the likes of Hamas before it can be considered as a partner in the peace process.

Outgoing US Secretary of State Colin Powell also said Abbas must crack down on the hardliners if he wants to retain the support of Washington.

"More than just take a position, he has to fight against those forces within the Palestinian community that still think there is a role for terrorism," said Powell.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana voiced confidence that Abbas would work to revive the peace process after he toured Gaza's impoverished Jabaliya refugee camp on Wednesday, a frequent launchpad for rocket attacks on Israel.

Stumbling over rubble and viewing razed homes left by Israel's incursions into northern Gaza in a bid to stem rocket attacks last October, he described what he saw as "very moving".

"You have opened a new page by the electoral process and you can be sure that the new president and the new structures are going to do the utmost to recuperate ... the process of peace," Solana told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian cabinet was holding its last meeting with its present line-up after the election of Abbas, which is likely to lead to a cull of ministers.

In Israel, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon won approval on first reading from MPs for the 2005 state budget after putting together a new government which should implement the Gaza pullout.

Some 5,000 soldiers and policemen will take part in the uprooting of the 8,000 settlers in the summer, public radio reported.

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