Israel orders unilateral ceasefire
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, May 24, 2001
TEL AVIV — Israel has ordered its military to end the war against
the Palestinians.
The government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered an immediate
ceasefire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Defense Minister Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer has ended all operations against the Palestinian Authority,
including assassinations of suspected Islamic terrorists.
Israeli troops would be allowed to fire only if they are attacked,
officials said. They said Israeli military incursions into PA-controlled
territory would now require government approval. Until now, regional
commanders could decide on their own to enter PA territory.
"The minister [Ben-Eliezer] has given orders to open fire only in cases
of life-threatening danger," a Defense Ministry statement said. "Mr.
Ben-Eliezer has in turn called on the Palestinian leadership to immediately
stop acts of violence and terrorism."
On Tuesday night, Sharon announced a unilateral ceasefire and called on
the Palestinians to do the same. The announcement came as U.S. diplomats
held talks with PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to implement the recommendations
of the Mitchell commission.
"I call on our neighbors to immediately stop fire and return to the
negotiations table," Sharon said.
Israeli officials said the ceasefire would continue despite Palestinian
attacks. They said that by next week Sharon would review the security
situation in Israel as well as in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
On late Tuesday, Palestinian gunners continued attacks on Jerusalem. The
Palestinian shooting from the Bethlehem-suburb of Bet Jallah struck several
homes in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo.
Fatah and Hamas leaders said they would not agree to a ceasefire before
Israel concedes to Palestinian demands. They said the Palestinians regard
their current war as a struggle for independence. Some leading combatants
added that they would ignore any order by PA Chairman Yasser Arafat to stop
Palestinian attacks on Israeli positions.
Arafat, who met U.S. diplomats in Gaza, has not responded to the Sharon
ceasefire. PA officials have dismissed the Israeli ceasefire as a public
relations gimmick.
Following Wednesday's cabinet meeting, several cabinet ministers said
the ceasefire would not last long because Arafat would not implement a
Palestinian ceasefire.
Earlier, Palestinian sources said Israeli troops and tanks launched
raids into three Palestinian-ruled areas in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli military sources denied the reports.
In Jerusalem, internal security officials said they had uncovered a
network of PA
police officers headed by Gaza Police Commander Razi Jibali that
manufactured
motar bombs and hand grenades.
On Sunday, Israeli security officials arrested Saadi Ashi, who owns an
iron works factory in Gaza. They said Ashi admitted to maunfacturing 10,000
mortar bombs and hand grenades and supplying them to the PA police. Ashi
also said that some of the weapons were manufactured in the PA police
headquarters in Gaza and he was trained in a workshop led by Jibali.
Israeli officials said the 120 mm mortar bombs were manufactured from
aluminium in Ashi's factory and then filled with explosives at the PA police
headquarters. The mortars have a longer range and higher explosive power.
Thursday, May 24, 2001
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