Despite Bush's announcement of cease- fire, Israel continues attacks against Palestinians
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 6/14/2001

The US President George Bush has announced that the director of the US CIA George Tenet told him on Wednesday that the Israeli and the Palestinian sides reached an agreement concerning the implementation of a cease- fire agreement, adding that the US is looking forward to achieving a progress after the two sides accepted Tenet's plan to cease confrontations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a press conference he held on Tuesday in Brussels, the US president announced that his envoy Tenet informed him about the agreement and that he is optimistic over this agreement.

The US President noted the need of implementing steps urged by the Mitchell report between the two sides and the resumption of negotiations very soon. He added that additional steps should be taken quickly to ensure the continuity of a just and comprehensive peace in the region, noting that the operation is difficult but has already started.

Replying to a question on whether the US will be involved more in the ME peace process, Bush said that his administration worked a lot to enable the two sides to sit at the table( of negotiations).

Meantime, the Israeli occupation forces continued its attacks against the Palestinian villages and cities and inflected heavy damages in several houses while bombarding the Palestinian city of Rafah on Wednesday.

The Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon threatened the Palestinians to strike them at any time and at any place and that the Israeli army placed military plans to surprise them at any moment.

During his meeting on Wednesday with high ranking army officials at the West Bank, according to the Israeli radio, Sharon added that what he called, activities of the Israeli army should be made quickly and precisely, according to the set Israeli plans, especially around routes trodden by the Palestinians because they ( the Palestinians) should not at all feel secure.

For his part, the Israeli defense minister Benjamin Bin Aleazer said that his forces will not lift the siege imposed on the Palestinian territories, only after the halting of the Intifada and Israel makes sure of that.

On Wednesday, the Israeli government decided to establish 14 new settlement in Tel al-Rumeida area in Hebron ( al-Khalil) at a time when the Israeli forces annexed Palestinian lands to the north of Gaza and to the east of the city of Gaza in order to create what is called an isolated security area.

In the confrontation, three Palestinian were wounded on Wednesday by the Israeli forces and one Israeli woman settler was wounded during the confrontation in Ofra settlement near Ramullah.

The Israeli radio said that the Israeli army forces closed the area and started vast mopping up operations following the confrontation.

Meantime, an Israeli car was exposed to fire at the ring- road surrounding Nablus by the Palestinian youths. The Israeli radio said that no human casualties were reported but heavy damages were inflicted on the said car.

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian- Israeli security meeting obstacles   (6/13/2001)
  Sharon calls for arresting Hamas, al-Jihad officials   (6/12/2001)
  A funeral for three Palestinian women killed by the Israeli fire   (6/11/2001)

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