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Israel kept Arafat plane from returning to Gaza

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Friday, April 20, 2001

RAMALLAH —Israel has attempted to keep Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat from returning to Gaza from a brief visit to Cairo, PA sources said.

The sources said Arafat's jet was prevented from entering Gaza air space on late Tuesday amid the Israeli invasion of Palestinian areas of Gaza. They said Arafat was forced to fly to Amman instead.

In Amman, the sources said, Arafat appealed to Jordan's King Abdullah to press Israel to allow the PA chairman to return to the Palestinian areas. Hours later, Arafat flew into Ramallah.

The sources said Israel has launched a new policy meant to disrupt Arafat's movements and particularly to prevent him from returning to the West Bank and Gaza Strip from abroad. They said the new policy requires specific permission for Arafat's plane to land in Gaza's Rafah airport. In the past, such approval was granted immediately.

Israeli officials have dismissed the assertion.

Arafat has not been in Gaza since the Arab League summit in Amman on March 27. Instead, he has been based in Ramallah and has traveled abroad and returned on a Jordanian military helicopter.

The PA chairman is expected to travel to Damascus at the end of the month for his first official meetings in Damascus. The London-based Al Hayat daily said Syrian and Palestinian officials are drafting a joint communique.

Egypt has not pressed Israel regarding restrictions on Arafat, a PA source said. The source said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is dismayed by Arafat's refusal to reduce the mini-war against Israel to enable implementation of an Egyptian-Jordanian plan meant to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Friday, April 20, 2001


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