American justifications on Bush statements concerning the Palestinians; One Palestinian was killed

The US Secretary Of State tried in Washington yesterday to justify the American support for Sharon's plan, stressing that such support will not disqualify the US from playing the role of the mediator in the Middle East.

In statements in Washington, Colin Powell said that Bush's position was just a notification about the fields status as population growth and the security situation have changed a lot since the war of 1967 and the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

He stressed that supporting Sharon's plan does not mean that Washington is trying to impose final peace settlement items.

However, the Palestinian representative at the UN Nasser al-Qidawa considered on Thursday that the US is no longer qualified to continue the role as a mediator in the peace process following the support given by Bush for Sharon's plan.

The Palestinian prime minister Ahmad Qurei' also strongly criticized the position of the American president and considered it as a bias for the Israeli side. He called on the Arab states to take a position regarding the recent statements made by Bush.

For his part, the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa described the change in the American position as a grave and negative and regrettable development.

Meantime, In the battle field one Palestinian died because of his wounds yesterday in Beitonia village near Ramullah after the occupation soldiers opened fire at him during confrontations that erupted between the citizens and the occupation forces following a march that deplored the building of the separation wall.

In Gaza, Palestinian security forces and witnesses said that the occupation forces destroyed totally 30 houses during the incursion operation carried out in Rafah camp to the south of the sector before their withdrawal on Thursday evening.