JERUSALEM Ñ Israel plans to expel Palestinian leaders in what
officials describe as the government's intensified campaign against suicide
attacks.
Israeli officials said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has obtained Cabinet
support to deport senior PA officials believed linked to the spate of
suicide bombings in Israeli cities. They said the expulsions would not
include PA Chairman Yasser Arafat. Sharon has called for such a move, but
has been opposed by his security chiefs and Defense Minister Binyamin
Ben-Eliezer.
"Following Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's discussions with the leaders of
the political parties in the coalition and top security establishment
officials, it was decided to take several military actions against the
Palestinian Authority and the murderous organizations," Sharon's office said
in a statement. "This includes a change in the way Israel responds to
murderous acts of terror: Israel will respond to acts of terror by capturing
PA territory."
The new policy was disclosed on Wednesday in wake of a suicide attack in
Jerusalem in which 19 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. A
Palestinian suicide bomber from the Hamas organization blew himself up on a
bus packed with high school students on their way to class.
Officials said Arafat's aides would be eligible for deportation. They
said this would not include Fatah secretary Marwan Barghouti, captured in
April, and being held in Israeli prison. Barghouti, they said, would
probably be placed on trial.
Overnight Wednesday, Israeli troops and tanks entered several West Bank
cities. Israeli armored and engineering forces entered the Jenin refugee
camp and city as well as Kalkilya. Hours later, Palestinian insurgents
struck an Israeli force guarding workers who were erecting a security fence
around the northern West Bank.
Officials said they plan to stay in the West Bank cities for an extended
period. But Sharon is not expected to destroy the PA during the current
operation.
The prime minister, officials said, does not want to disrupt plans by
U.S. President George Bush to announce his Middle East proposal, a
development expected to take place by Friday. The administration appears to
be divided over details of Bush's announcement, particularly the meaning of
a proposal for an interim Palestinian state.
