RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has sought to commit insurgents
to honor a ceasefire with Israel.
PA officials said hundreds of insurgents have been approached to sign a
pledge that would commit them to honor PA agreements. They said the pledge
was drafted in an effort to ensure that elements from the ruling Fatah
movement would honor the ceasefire with Israel, announced in February 2005.
The pledge drafted by the PA does not mention Israel or a commitment to
nonviolence. Instead, the document bans any "action that violates security
and rule of law and agreements reached between the Palestinian Authority and
any state or party."
Authorities have offered incentives for insurgents to sign the pledge.
The incentives include eligibility for jobs in either the security services
or in civilian government posts.
Another incentive, officials said, would allow insurgents to keep their
weapons. Palestinian insurgency groups have refused to surrender their
weaponry to the PA.
Officials said the goal was to obtain the signatures of 1,000
insurgents. So far, about 250 insurgents, most of them from Fatah, have
signed the pledge.
Already, nearly 100 insurgents have joined PA security forces in the
West Bank. Officials said the insurgents were sought by Israel for attacks
on civilian and military targets.
Officials said the PA expects 500 insurgents to join the security
services. They said the recruits would also come from the opposition Islamic
groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
