Abbas cuts contacts with Hamas, Jihad, which cling to dialogue; occupation forces block the west bank
Palestine-Israel, Military, 8/21/2003

The Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas has decided to halt all contacts with the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movement following the "suicide operation" which took place in Jerusalem on Tuesday. A matter which was reacted to by the two movements announcing their attachment to dialogue as a means to solve all internal problems.

Meantime, the Israeli occupation forces imposed a comprehensive closure of the West Bank, and launched a campaign of arrest of more than 30 Palestinians.

A high ranking Palestinian official said that it was decided that the "Palestinian authority will stop all forms of dialogue with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad," adding that the Palestinian authority also held them responsible for damaging the supreme national interests of the Palestinian people.

He added that "the Palestinian authority will take shortly security measures against members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad." The official added that Abbas who was preparing to travel for Rome and Oslo aborted all his trips abroad in order to follow up the recent crisis.

The Palestinian minister of information Nabil Amre told journalists that Abbas ordered the security department to follow up those who are behind the operation and to bring them before the justice. The leading figure in Hamas Ismael Heny said "we do not want, in the Hamas movement, to have any inter- Palestinian split and we consider the inter-Palestinian dialogue as the right option especially under this critical and sensitive phase."

Heny stressed "we have realized the nature of pressure exerted on the authority, but this should not push us to drop (from our negotiation hands with Israel ) all papers of the Intifada and the resistance." He added "we consider that these moments will pass away and inter- Palestinian relations will be back to normalcy."

Referring to the constant aggressions by Israel and its violations of agreements, Heny explained that the "side responsible for inflicting the Palestinian national interests is the occupation and therefore the occupation should be chased rather than the resistance groups, nor the Palestinian people."

On the other hand, the Palestinian news agency WFA said that Israeli forces broke into Sela al-Haretheiyah town to the west of Jenin and detained four Palestinians. He added that the Israeli forces detained more than 10 Palestinians in Arabba and Jalboun towns in Jenin.

Previous Stories:
  Scores of Israelis killed, in bus explosion in Jerusalem, Israeli ends talks with the Palestinians, freezes withdrawals   (8/20/2003)
  Three houses demolished in Jerusalem, five Palestinians detained   (8/19/2003)
  Israeli forces invade Qalqilya, detain official in al-Jihad movement   (8/18/2003)
  Israel kills four Palestinians   (8/9/2003)
  Israeli plan to enhance settlement in Jordan Valley, provocative marches in Jerusalem   (8/8/2003)
  Arafat: Sharon's visit to India might escalate tension with Pakistan   (8/4/2003)

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