News on Arafat's approval to appoint a prime minister; Israel arrests scores of Palestinians
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 2/14/2003

Officials and diplomats have stated that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat approved to appoint a prime minister for running the Palestinian affairs according to the "Road Map" peace plan, noting that due to the fact that other points within the peace plan are not settled yet, such an appointment will not be made soon.

News reports quoted those officials who were not identified, saying that the Palestinian president sent his approval in a written message to the UK prime minister Tony Blair before his meeting with the US President George Bush in January.

Arafat, however, had refused to appoint a prime minister of what seems to be fears that this step will weaken his influence.

A Palestinian official said that the message implied, for the first time Arafat's acceptance of the Road Map plan without reservations and that "he accepts all steps stated in the plan, and these include appointing a prime minister." The peace plan which was proposed by what is called the Quartet ( Washington, the UN, Moscow and the EU) calls for ending the Palestinian Intifada which has been continuous since 30 months and establishing a Palestinian state by the fall of 2005.

Meantime, two Palestinians were killed and a third was wounded by the Israeli forces bullets near Natsareim settlement in Gaza. The Israeli version of the story said that a military force monitored a group of Palestinians while trying to implant explosives on the road leading to the settlement and gun fire was opened against them, and resulted in killing two and wounding a third while another had fled.

In Nablus, the West Bank, eye witnesses and medical sources said the Israeli forces killed a 22- year old Palestinian after they had opened fire to disperse a crowd which gathered to protest for arresting activists in a refugee camp.

Meantime, a Palestinian child ( 13 year old) died on Wednesday evening in a hospital in Nablus of wounds he had one week earlier by the Israeli forces near Jenin.

Meanwhile, the Israeli forces arrested 20 Palestinians during a vast mopping up operation launched on Wednesday evening and Thursday at dawn in the surrounding and inside the city of Jenin to the north of the occupied West Bank, under the charges that they are resistance fighters.

Israeli military sources said that most of the detained persons are suspected to be members in the Islamic resistance movement Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, adding that 8 guns and 3 pistols were confiscated during the storming operation.

Previous Stories:
  Two Palestinians killed in Gaza; General Command claims responsibility for Bethlehem attack   (2/13/2003)
  Four Israeli soldiers wounded in a Palestinian operation, Israeli forces continue detention, destroying houses   (2/10/2003)
  Israeli forces continue breaking in, destruction operations against the Palestinians   (2/8/2003)
  Israeli TV: Sharon met with Abbas, Qrei   (2/8/2003)
  Israel Preventing Hundreds of Palestinian Pilgrims From Haj   (2/6/2003)
  Arafat ready to meet Sharon, for negotiations; Hamas, al-Jihad for escalation of resistance   (1/30/2003)

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