GAZA CITYŃ Virtually all of the Palestinian groups have threatened to suspend the
ceasefire with Israel amid what they assert are Israeli violations. Palestinian sources said
Israel has violated the ceasefire 80 times over the last five weeks.
"Hamas is running out of patience," Hamas spokesman Abdul Aziz Rentisi
said.
Rentisi said Israeli troops have killed 12 Palestinians since June 29.
He did not refer to Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians during the
ceasefire.
On late Sunday, the ruling Fatah movement claimed responsibility for a
shooting attack on an Israeli vehicle near Bethlehem, Middle East Newsline reported. Four people were
injured when a family was returning home to the Israeli community of Har
Gilo opposite Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Authority has launched an effort to
extend the truce with Israel.
PA officials have been meeting with Palestinian insurgency leaders to
extend the current ceasefire. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have pledged to
maintain a three-month truce with Israel.
PA Prime Minister Mahmmoud Abbas was scheduled to arrive in Gaza City on
Monday to meet all of the Palestinian insurgency groups to review the truce
declared on June 29. Officials said Abbas wants to extend the three-month
truce for at least another three months.
"Abbas will keep the representatives of the Palestinian factions posted
on his talks with U.S. President George W. Bush during his visit to the
White House," PA Information Minister Nabil Amr said.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the military has suspended
plans to withdraw from and hand over two additional cities in the West Bank
to the PA. Mofaz said the government would first examine the response by PA
security forces to the attack.
PA International Cooperation Minister Nabil Shaath said the PA has
offered Israel a two-year ceasefire by Palestinian groups. Shaath said
Israel rejected the offer and demanded that the PA dismantle what he termed
the terrorist infrastructure.
PA officials said a proposal for Fatah insurgents wanted by Israel to be
transferred from Ramallah to Jericho appears to have been shelved. Over the
weekend, the praetorian guard of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat arrested 17 Fatah
fugitives in his compound and ordered them to be transferred for detention
in Jericho. Most of the Fatah insurgents refused and launched a hunger
strike in protest.
Israeli officials said the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
plans to release 349 Palestinians on Wednesday. They said the release would
not be delayed by Palestinian insurgency strikes.
"A decision has been made and nothing can stop it," Israeli Public
Security Minister Tsahi Hanegbi said.
