Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has canceled a planned Wednesday meeting with Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon over an internal crisis within the Fatah organization, Palestinian sources said Tuesday.
According to these sources, Abbas canceled the meeting after facing fierce opposition in Fatah over the way he has been running negotiations with Israel.
Abbas was scheduled to meet with Sharon to discuss the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. According to a senior Palestinian source, several Fatah general council members Monday night demanded that Abbas resign.
According to the source, Abbas sent two letters to Yasser Arafat - one asking for instructions how to run the Palestinian government and negotiations with Israel and the second letter asking to resign from the Fatah Central Committee.
Meanwhile, Khaled al Batsh, an Islamic Jihad leader told Al Bawaba that Monday night’s explosion at a home in an Israeli farm community near the city of Netanya, which the movement claimed responsibility for, is indicative of the Palestinian resistance movement’s ability to respond to Israeli violence. He also said that it has come as an attempt to force the Israeli side to comply with the truce.
“I cannot confirm or deny the Jerusalem Brigades’, Islamic Jihad’s military wing, claim for the attack as the military apparatus’ operations are independent of the political organization…One of the provisions of the truce stipulates that the (Israeli) enemy should honor all the conditions [set out on the truce], including the halt of attacks on Palestinians as well as night incursions into our cities and villages. However, on the second day of the truce, the (Israeli) occupation forces assassinated one of al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades’ leaders in Qalqilya and arrested his colleague. Yesterday, they arrested 14 Islamic Jihad and Hamas members and the Israeli army made incursions into the Palestinian village of Toubas and the city of Rafah…The Israeli forces also shot at the Western Camp (a refugee camp) in the city of Khan Younes. Therefore, I would not be surprised should a Palestinian individual, cell, or military group carry out an attack in response to the Israeli violations of the truce.”
The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility on Tuesday for Monday night’s explosion at a home in a farm community near the Israeli city of Netanya in which four Israelis were killed or wounded. A statement issued by the Jerusalem Brigades, Islamic Jihad’s military wing, identified the bomber as 22-year old Ahmed Yahya; who was also killed in the attack.
Late last month, Islamic Jihad accepted a three-month conditional truce with Israel.
Batsh added, “For one Palestinian violation of the truce there are dozens of violations by Israel.”
Batsh said “the truce stipulates that Israel should comply with all conditions set out including a halt of military operations against Palestinians, the release of prisoners and Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and West Bank within three months. This has not yet been met, and on the contrary, Sharon’s government has started to create divisions among the Palestinians by refusing to release some Islamic Jihad, Hamas and PFLP prisoners from Israeli jails.” He added that Israel, instead of complying with the truce, has escalated their nightly crackdowns in Gaza and the West Bank, the fact that has spurred the [Palestinian] resistance to respond to their actions.
Meanwhile, Batsh refused to say that the truce has collapsed. “The operation has come as a response to the latest Israeli crimes and to show Sharon’s government that the Palestinian factions have not accepted the truce out of weakness,” said Batsh, demanding that Israel comply with the truce. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
