RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority has canceled major economic
conferences because Western executives and officials refuse to enter the
West Bank.
PA officials said the PA
could not guarantee the safety of the Westerners amid the spate of
abductions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
[Monday, for the first time, Fatah gunmen targeted
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Officials said Fatah sought to target Abbas as he left Gaza City on
Monday, Middle East Newsline reported. The PA police convoy was meant to secure the highway taken by Abbas
during his trip to the West Bank. "Abu Mazen's [Abbas] car was meant to be attacked, and there was even
talk of abducting or holding him for a while until he caved in to Fatah
demands," an official said."Abu Mazen's [Abbas] car was meant to be attacked, and there was even
talk of abducting or holding him for a while until he caved in to Fatah
demands," an official said.]
"The atmosphere is much too tense for foreigners," an official said. "It
would be best if we hold these events when things quiet down."
On March 15, the PA canceled the Palestinian Economic Encounter,
scheduled for April 8-10, and the Palestine Development and Investment
Conference, scheduled for this autumn. Officials said the meetings were
meant to mark efforts to attract international investors to the PA.
Officials said the Higher Coordinating Council for the Private Sector
concluded that it must cancel the Palestine Economic Encounter. They said
they did not expect the Ramallah event to be imminently rescheduled.
"We apologize to all interested parties for any inconvenience this may
have caused," PA Economy Minister Mazen Sinokrot said. "And we will keep all
our cherished participants, interested
friends and partners updated of any conference news in accordance with
political developments."
[On Tuesday, Israeli authorities blocked roads around Jerusalem after an
alert of an imminent Palestinian suicide strike. Officials said 10
Palestinians in a van with five kilograms of explosives were captured by
special forces on the main highway to Jerusalem. But authorities did not
rule out that another bomber was sent to the city. ]
Officials said the PA does not expect the security situation to improve
over the next few months. They said this was the reason the Palestine
Development and Investment Conference, scheduled for the fall, was canceled.
"The decision was a set back for all of us, " Palestine Development and
Investment Conference chief executive officer Kamel Husseini said. "But we
live in an unpredictable situation and we have to adapt our strategies
always."
For more than a year, Fatah insurgents have been attacking PA facilities
and senior officials in their demand for jobs and funding. Many of the
insurgents had been receiving salaries during the rule of the late PA
Chairman Yasser Arafat.
On Monday, Fatah gunmen planted bombs and sprayed semi-automatic fire
toward the PA convoy near the Erez terminal along the border with Israel.
Four people were injured in the subsequent battle between PA forces and
Fatah insurgents.
The PA chairman was not in the convoy during the shootout. Officials
said police rushed reinforcements to the scene. There were no reports of
arrests.
Abbas was said to have been last threatened in wake of Arafat's death in
November 2004. At the time, Fatah insurgents surrounded Abbas's entourage
and opened fire during a condolence call in the Gaza Strip. Abbas was not
hurt.
Over the last day, Fatah insurgents have attacked PA critical facilities
and government offices throughout the Gaza Strip. Officials said at least 14
people were injured.
Officials said at least two people were injured when Fatah gunmen
stormed the Gaza Strip's main power plant on Monday. They said security
forces opened fire toward the Fatah attackers, many of whom had been
recently recruited to the PA police.
In Khan Yunis, Fatah gunmen captured a PA military hospital. This was
the second time Fatah insurgents targeted the facility in March.
