Egypt rejects to administer Gaza's security after the Israeli withdrawal
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 3/9/2004

The US has renewed its assertion that Israel has the right to defend itself towards what he called terrorism and urged Israel to be cautious in its military operations.

This followed the Israeli military incursion in the camps of Gaza and the massacre committed there. This was expressed by the spokesman for the US Department Of State, Richard Boucher, while the UN secretary general Kofi Annan strongly condemned the Israeli raids and the attack launched by the Palestinians at an Israeli military center in the same area.

Meantime, the higher representative for the higher policy in the European Union, Javier Solana, condemned the Israeli occupation army occupation in Gaza and called on the Israelis and the Palestinians to put an end to the "cycle of violence."

Meantime, the secretary general of the Arab league Amr Moussa said that the situation in the Palestinian territories requires discussions at the UN Security Council, noting that " what happened in Gaza raises question on blaming the Palestinians despite the massacres they undergo." Moussa strongly condemned the massacres of al-Breij and al-Nuseirat camps in Gaza and accused Israel in seeking to impose unilateral steps by using the military force.

The Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qurei' called for halting what is called the cycle of violence from the Israeli and Palestinian sides in order to relaunch the Roadmap and the Middle East peace process, in general.

This was expressed during the talks Qurei' held in London with the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and his foreign minister. Jacque Straw, that dealt with means of reviving the Roadmap and the position concerning the likely Israeli withdrawal, and dismantling the settlements in Gaza and the case of the Israeli apartheid separation wall.

Qurei' called on each of Britain and the US to resume mediation efforts in the Palestinian- Israeli conflict and to push forward the peace process which he said is in a critical phase.

Qurei' said that the Israeli army killed "in cold blood" during the the incursion operation in Gaza on Sunday some 14 Palestinians.

As for the likely Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the former Palestinian minister of information, Yasser Abd Rabbu, said following his talks in Cairo with the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Maher, that he believes that Egypt will not accept supervising the security situation in Gaza after Israel's withdrawal from it.

Maher denied any contacts to have been made over Egypt's assuming the responsibility of security in Gaza. He said that the Israeli withdrawal from there or from any other Palestinian land is a welcomed step, but should be made within conditions leading to peace.

However, the Egyptian President Hosni Muabark had rejected in press statements the idea that his country to carry out a security role in Gaza. He described the Israeli plan as a trap conducive to a conflict with the Palestinians and also with the Israelis.

News reports in Palestine said that the director of the Egyptian intelligence, Omar Suleiman, will arrive within days to Ramullah in order to discuss with President Yasser Arafat the possibility of implementing the Roadmap unilaterally.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli forces incur in the West Bank, 14 Palestinians killed   (3/8/2004)
  Five worshippers were killed in an attack in front of a mosque; Sanaa denied assassination attempt on President's son   (3/6/2004)
  Occupation forces admit assassination of three Hamas members; Palestinian resistance confronts Israeli incursion in Jenin   (3/4/2004)
  Construction rate in the Israeli settlements increases; Quartet support withdrawal from Gaza in coordination with the Palestinians   (3/3/2004)
  Al-Rajoub in Egypt to discuss outcome of Fatah meetings with Egypt   (3/1/2004)
  Beshara and the Israeli wall   (2/26/2004)
  Rafah crossing was closed, detention in the West Bank; Sharon escalates criticism against Qurei' government   (2/25/2004)
  Al-Azhar University students demonstrate against the Israeli wall of separation   (2/24/2004)
  Egyptian parliament deplores Apartheid separation wall   (2/12/2004)

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