World Tribune.com

Ceasefire violated immediately upon agreement

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, November 3, 2000

JERUSALEM — Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to another ceasefire that was violated from literally the moment it was declared.

The ceasefire was achieved during a meeting overnight Thursday between PA Chairman Yasser Arafat Arafat and Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres. Under the agreement, both Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak were to announce an end to violence, renew security cooperation, end incitement and establish a commission of enquiry.

"As far as I know, everything has been concluded," Peres said. "What should be done first and what should be done later. These were verbal understandings."

But moments after the assertion by Peres, violence flared in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians attacked Israeli motorists and soldiers and Israeli troops returned fire. Hundreds of Palestinians converged on the Karni checkpoint in Gaza — turned over by the Israeli army to the PA on Wednesday — but PA forces did not intervene.

Clashes erupted as Palestinians tried to break through the gate of at least one Jewish settlement. At least five Palestinians and an Israeli soldier were reported injured. PA police did not intervene.

"It seems as if this agreement did not hold water," said Yitzhak Levy, a member of the opposition National Religious Party who witnessed the clashes. "It is another mistake of the government."

Israeli forces and Palestinians clashed in the West Bank village of Hizmeh near Ramallah. One Palestinian was killed in the clashes. Several Palestinians were injured. Israeli troops and Palestinians also clashed in Hebron.

The renewed clashes came after Israel began to withdraw from positions in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. In Gaza, the Israeli military handed over a position to the PA at the Karni border crossing. Israeli and Palestinian commanders also resumed meetings.

PA officials disputed the Israeli reports of a ceasefire. They said the Arafat-Peres meeting in Gaza focused on what they termed was Israeli aggression. They said Arafat, who convened his Cabinet on Thursday, will not stop violent Palestinian protests against Israel.

But publicly Israeli ministers sounded upbeat. Israeli officials said the ceasefire agreement halted plans for an offensive against the PA as the Palestinians were running out of ammunition.

"My feeling is that this [ceasefire] could work," Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said.

The Cabinet had approved the Israeli offensive after intense clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in which three Israeli soldiers were killed on Wednesday. The casualties were reported in battles with PA forces near Bethlehem and Jericho. At one point, Israeli helicopters fired missiles toward the PA intelligence headquarters in Jericho.

PA attacks focused on Jerusalem. A pipe bomb exploded in the city in an attack attributed to Palestinian terrorists and one pedestrian was injured. Overnight, Israeli authorities evacuated the southern portion of Jerusalem amid pitched gun battles with PA gunmen.

Friday, November 3, 2000

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