Israel reoves settlements, destroys palestinian homes; Hamas considers dialogue
Palestine-Israel, Military, 6/10/2003

The Israeli occupation forces yesterday destroyed 13 Palestinian homes after they had incurred in an area near Beit Hanoun to the north of Gaza.

A Palestinian security source said that scores of tanks and military vehicles escorted by bulldozers incurred yesterday morning in an area to the west of Beit Hanoun amid intensive fire and forced people of these houses to leave by force and opened fire at them before destroying their houses.

Among the destroyed houses is the house of the Palestinian suicider Mousa Sahweil, the activist in Ezz Eddine al-Qassam group, the military wing of the Hamas movement, who was killed with two other Palestinians at Beit Hanoun ( Eres ) crossing on Sunday which resulted in killing four Israeli soldiers.

Meantime, a main group for the Jewish settlers said that the Israeli government started to eliminate a Jewish settlement site yesterday. This site is one among scores that should be removed by Israel in the framework of the Roadmap plan for peace adopted by Washington.

However, there are more than 100 settlements in the West Bank, 60 of which were erected since Sharon assumed the post of the Prime Minister in Israel in 2001. According to international law, all settlements built on an occupied Palestinian lands are considered illegal.

At the political level, the Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas said he will not use force against groups of the Palestinian resistance under any condition. He also defended himself before the anger of the Palestinians who say that he was very soft with the Israelis in his speech at the peace conference in al-Aqaba last week, and this was in return for "small things" Israel had offered.

In a press conference he held yesterday in Ramullah, Abbas said he will not force anyone to negotiate and that the Palestinian Authority will not be part to "any internal confrontation," but he added that negotiation is the only available option before the Palestinians.

He also condemned the new operations which foil the Roadmap. He said " we reject these acts." He continued if these operations continue it will complicate the situation and make the peace process more difficult. He continued that it is necessary to exert all efforts to stop "the blood bath" and seek to maintain a peaceful settlement.

On the other hand, the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, said it will discuss the new developments in light of the explanations given by Abbas in his press conference yesterday. One of the Hamas leading figures, Abdul Aziz al-Ranteisi in Gaza said that the movement will discuss the new developments before taking a position concerning dialogue with the authority.

In Cairo, an Egyptian official who asked to be unanimous said that President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt will delegate the director of the general intelligence Omar Suleiman to the Palestinian authority areas in order to convince the Palestinian groups to resume the dialogue with Abu Mazin.

The official said that Suleiman's mission who is in charge of the Palestinian file aims at bringing together view points in order to abide by the Roadmap so as a peace chance will not be wasted.

Previous Stories:
  Israel demands Palestinian authority act after a joint resistance operation against Israel   (6/9/2003)
  Thousands of Israeli settlers demonstrate in Jerusalem: dismantling settlements is a surrender to terrorism   (6/5/2003)
  Hamas, al-Jihad, al-Shabeya will not drop their guns, will avoid inter- fighting   (6/5/2003)
  Israeli forces release 91 Palestinian prisoners, arrest 10 others   (6/4/2003)
  Amnesty international: Israel commits war crimes against the Palestinians   (5/31/2003)

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