Palestinians renew mortar attacks as U.S. puts heat on Arafat

JERUSALEM — Israel has been rocked by a renewed Palestinian bombing campaign as Foreign Minister Shimon Peres began a peace mission and the Bush administration stepped up pressure on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Bombs exploded around Israeli installations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as in the Jewish state. At the same time, Palestinian gunners renewed mortar fire on Jewish settlements in the strip, Middle East Newsline reported.

The two Arab countries were said to have told Arafat that they cannot continue efforts to restore peace negotiations unless he makes good on his pledge to end the violence.

Palestinian sources said Arafat has been pressed by U.S. officials in Washington as well as diplomats in the Middle East to implement his pledge to crack down on Fatah gunners who have ignored previous calls to end the mortar attacks. Arafat issued several statements last week that called for an end to such attacks.

The sources said Arafat did not issue an order to stop the mortar attacks or disband the Tanzim. Instead, the sources said, Arafat issued these statements in an effort to assuage the United States and obtain an invitation to meet President George Bush in the White House.

Over the weekend, Arafat was reported ready to disband a Fatah unit responsible for the latest mortar attacks against Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. The unit, however, said it would ignore Arafat's orders and threatened to bolt from the ruling party.

"We will continue the fight against the occupation," the Fatah popular resistance committee, or Tanzim, said in a statement. "We are neither a party nor an association, and we owe our right of resistance to no one."

Fatah gunners continued to bomb Israeli positions on Sunday. The Israeli military did not respond.

Arafat, the sources said was surprised by an announcement from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that Israel and the Palestinians agreed to a ceasefire. The sources said Arafat interrupted a meeting with Israeli opposition leader Yossi Sarid to telephone Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Mussa for clarification.

The fighting continued overnight Monday in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said Israeli tanks shelled Bet Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

A right-wing parliamentarian, Zvi Hendel, said, however, that a military operation was blocked by an order from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Sharon did not want any military response to torpedo an Israeli diplomatic effort to end the seven-month-old war with the Palestinians.

Sharon sent Peres to the Arab world and the United States to win support for an end to Palestinian attacks. Peres met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah. The foreign minister flew to the United States on Monday for talks with Bush administration officials.

On Monday, Mubarak called on Israel to agree to peace efforts and prevent any moves that would spark a conflict with either Lebanon or the Palestinians. The Egyptian president was addressing the nation in a speech to mark May Day.

For his part, Sharon has warned that Israel will not continue to withstand Palestinian attack. He has rejected a Mubarak proposal for a four-week ceasefire with the Palestinians.

"The situation on the ground is intolerable and, except for words, the Palestinian Authority is not doing anything serious," Sharon said in a message to Abdullah. 'If the Palestinian Authority does not act to halt the violence, Israel will be obliged to do so."

The United States is pressing Arafat to make good on his pledge to end mortar attacks on Israeli positions.

PA sources said Arafat met Fatah chiefs on late Sunday in Ramallah and pledged to reject any ceasefire proposal.

An Israeli intelligence source confirmed Arafat's meeting with Fatah chiefs. The source said Arafat chaired a session that included PA deputy security chief Rashid Abu Shback. Arafat, however, did not issue orders for mortar attacks.