More Palestinians killed by the Israelis
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/4/2001

France on Thursday condemned the new aggression carried out on Wednesday in Rafah and stressed that this aggression will increase tension and the suffering of the Palestinian citizens.

The spokesman for the French Foreign ministry Francois revaso said that the conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories are very grave, noting that " the incursion of the Israeli forces in Gaza should be condemned."

The French daily " Liberation" described in its Thursday's issue the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon as a stubborn, aggressive and provocative and that by his escalated aggression against the Palestinians he carries out the desire of the Israeli extremists.

The French daily Le Figaro also criticized the breaking of the Israeli forces into Gaza and stressed that settlement policy prevents the attaining of the optimum peace.

The secretary general of the Arab League (AL) Ismat Abdul Miguid asked the US to carry out its due role and to work for pressuring Israel to implement international legitimacy resolutions and the land for peace formula.

The AL chief added that the Israeli aggression will only increase the determination of the Palestinians to liberate their lands.

In Washington, the US secretary of state Colin Powell said that the US administration will do its best to reduce what he called the level of violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Following his meeting with the Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres, Powell added that Washington will spare no efforts to alleviate the confrontation and to be able to revive economic activities in the region on the hope to return back to the negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides so as to realize peace needed drastically by the two sides.

Peres said that his government is making contacts day and night with the US secretary of state to inform him about events taking place in the region. Peres added no body can reach a cease- fire with the Palestinians, but the US and this will be through security meetings.

Peres renewed stances of the Israeli government in that it will not be ready to resume negotiations with the Palestinians unless the Intifada is totally halted. He continued that if negotiations will be resumed there will be a freedom to debate any issue including Jerusalem, but at the same time, the current Israeli government will not give what was given by the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak. Peres stressed that his government will continue building the settlements. " This matter ( building settlements) is not subjected to negotiations when negotiations will be resumed."

On the Palestinian side, Ahmad Qrei' said that the Palestinians will not halt the Intifada as far as the government of Sharon continues to building the settlements and its aggressions against the Palestinian areas. He described Peres as a "campaigner" for the aggressive policy pursued by Sharon against the Palestinians. He called on the US administration to halt the settlement and the aggressive practices.

Meantime, the Israeli occupation forces arrested four Palestinian officers in Ramullah, al-Khalil, and Tel al-Rweimdah and also arrested the Palestinian youth Firas Qadi from Soureif under the charges of kidnapping an israeli soldier, as well as other Palestinians from the same region. They are two members from the Palestinian force no 17 and five from Shaafat camp to the east of Jerusalem.

Previous Stories:
  One Palestinian killed, 15 wounded in an Israeli attempt to break into Rafah camp   (5/3/2001)
  Seven Palestinians were killed, including two children within 24 hours   (5/2/2001)
  Annan confers with Peres   (5/2/2001)

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