After a two-week standoff, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei on Tuesday agreed to continue working with Palestinian president Yasser Arafat, Palestinian officials said.
Arafat held a crucial meeting Tuesday morning with Qurei in Ramallah in a bid to end the internal crisis over security powers.
"The president (Arafat) has rejected my resignation and I will comply," Qurei told reporters after the talks with Arafat. "This is a new step toward reform and imposing the rule of law," he said. "There will be actions on the ground."
The two leaders emerged from the meeting kissing each other on the cheeks and clasping and holding up their hands together.
Several legislators in a parliamentary committee formed to press Arafat for reforms said before the meeting he had agreed to give Qurei full powers over police and internal security services. However, Qurei denied that he and Arafat agreed on granting the prime minister more authority over the security apparatus.
"I'm not going to bargain with the president about authority over the security branches," Qurei said. "We have enough powers over them as it stands."
Hassan Abu Libdeh, general secretary of the Cabinet, said Arafat had agreed to give up some control over security forces. Under the agreement, Qurei's power would be limited to the internal security forces, while Arafat would retain control over the Palestinian intelligence service and armed forces, Palestinian officials said, according to The AP.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation troops killed early Tuesday two Palestinians and wounded four in the Gaza Strip neighbourhood of al-Shejaiya, medical and eyewitnesses said.
Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers backed by tanks, armoured vehicles and U.S made Apache helicopters stormed al-Shejaiya neighbourhood, east of Gaza city, and opened heavy machine gunfire at civilians and their houses, WAFA reported.
They added that a special Israeli undercover units broke into some houses and nabbed local inhabitants, shortly before occupying roofs and turning them into military posts.
Officials at al-Shefa'a hospital announced that Maher Abu Atta 26, was killed with a direct live bullet in his chest, and Fadi al-Mughani 22, was killed with live bullets in his head and chest, adding that four others, including a child, were critically wounded.
Also in the Strip, Israeli forces wounded Tuesday two Palestinians in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, Palestinian medical sources said.
Medics at al-Najjar Hospital i3 civilians wounded in Rafah reported that Mussa Abu Luly, 22, and Na’eem Hassan, 16, were wounded when Israeli soldiers positioned at the borderline with Egypt opened heavy fire at houses in al-Salam neighbourhood.
In Khan Younis, Palestinian sources said that Mohammed Abu Toha was shot with a live bullet in the back when an Israeli sniper, poisoned at a watchingtower in the Israeli settlement of “Neveh Dekalim” targeted him as he was walking close to his home. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
