Israel rebuffs White House appeal to stop assassinations
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Thursday, July 5, 2001
JERUSALEM Ñ Israel's government continued both to uphold in prinicple the
ceasefire and to stand behind orders to the military to assassinate Palestinian
insurgency leaders.
During a cabinet meeting Wednesday, the ministers dismissed an appeal by the
Bush administration to stop the assassination policy. The policy was raised
during a meeting on Monday between U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell with
Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz.
On Wednesday, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot said the military would
target 26 Palestinians fugitives. The fugitives are suspected of
masterminding bombing in Israeli cities as well as attacks against Jewish
settlers.
For their part, Palestinians have warned of an escalation in attacks.
Palestinian sources said the attacks would come at the end of a seven-day
period of calm set by the U.S.-sponsored ceasefire that ended late
Wednesday.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and senior ministers have agreed to adopt tougher measures against leaders of the Palestinian war as intelligence alerts indicated the bombing campaign against the Jewish state would escalate. Officials said the
bombings could resume as early as Thursday.
As a result, the Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of what
ministers termed was Israel's ceasefire while providing a freer hand to elite military
units to assassinate those regarded as organizing Palestinian attacks
against Israelis. So far, five Palestinians were killed this week in the
West Bank and another two Palestinian Authority officials were arrested near
Ramallah.
"We have come to the conclusion that this situation can no longer
continue," Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said. "I have a deep apocalyptical feeling that we are facing a terrible
calamity," Israeli opposition leader Yossi Sarid said.
On Wednesday, a Palestinian fugitive was shot and seriously wounded in
the West Bank city of Hebron. The fugitive was identified as Hazem Natsheh,
a 22-year-old member of the ruling Fatah movement. Palestinian sources said
Natsheh was shot by Israeli commandos.
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