Palestinian MP and Fatah leader - Mohammad al Hourani – suggested Sunday that the issue of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades could be solved within the next 24 hours. He also said that Fatah and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) are against any agreement that may put the lives of the Brigades’ members in danger.
“The solution should be through internal dialogue and members of the brigades should participate in this dialogue. I believe they recognize the precarious situation President Yasser Arafat faces and the circumstances surrounding him,” Hourani told Al Bawaba via telephone.
He added, “The brigades’ commanders should agree on a solution that would guarantee the lives of their activists. The solution must be a Palestinian one and free from any foreign intervention.”
Hourani went on to say that the detained Fatah activists were key partners in the truce between the Palestinians and Israelis.
However, Hourani did warn that the Israeli government “wants to put obstacles in the way of any progress achieved by the Palestinians in a bid to ‘keep them busy’ with their domestic problems.” This, Hourani continues, “will enable Israel to continue building the security fence and avoid implementing the part of the roadmap concerning the release of the Palestinian prisoners.”
Hourani believes that the Israeli government does not feel comfortable about international pressure and would like to “distract the world’s attention away from the issue of the security fence by creating internal tension amongst the Palestinians.”
Earlier, Palestinian sources reiterated to Al Bawaba that an agreement has been reached at the headquarters of Arafat as an attempt to resolve the issue. The agreement stipulates that the 20 detained activists would be transferred to a prison in Jericho - under US supervision - provided that the brigades announce their continued commitment to the truce; something they threatened to end.
According to the agreement, Kamel Ghannam - the most wanted activist [by Israel] of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades – agreed to have his men stay in the place where they were arrested two days ago. “In return”, he added, “Israel would undertake, together with US guarantees, not to harm the wanted activists and refrain from launching any military operations against Arafat’s headquarters or the PA leader himself. The activists will also agree to to maintain the truce and strengthen it.”
Earlier, a group Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades members announced their withdrawal from the truce. They issued a statement in Jenin calling for the escalation of suicide bombings against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
Also, a Palestinian official said Arafat contacted US officials to secure guarantees for the activists - wanted by Israel - and were being detained by Palestinian security at Arafat’s headquarters.
Palestinian Minster of Information - Nabil Amr - said “Arafat’s efforts are aimed at protecting the lives of the detainees against any Israeli harm. There have also been reports about Palestinian and Israeli contacts to secure safe transfer of the detainees to a prison in Jericho under American supervision.”
For his part, PA Minster of State - Abdel Fattah al Hamayel - said in a statement that the activists have not been arrested but were rather being ‘persuaded’ to go to Jericho in order to be in a more secure place following the Israeli threats. He added that Israel “demanded their arrest but the PA did not respond positively.”
The al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades issued a statement warning the PA “that it is responsible for the safety of their members and threatened to put an end to the truce with Israel should any of its detained members be endangered”.
