In an unprecedented move, the Israeli army declared a cease-fire with the Palestinians on Tuesday, and ordered its forces to withdraw immediately from all zones under complete Palestinian control which they had reoccupied over the past few weeks.
The withdrawal orders come from Israeli Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz and are aimed at "testing the sincerity" of Arafat's declarations and "giving a chance to attempts to put an end to the violence," an Israeli army statement said.
Agence France Presse on Tuesday quoted a defense ministry spokesman as saying the Israeli army suspended all "offensive operations" against the Palestinians upon orders from Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer.
Shortly afterwards, the Israeli Defense Ministry confirmed it was halting all offensive operations against the Palestinians, a report by CNN said.
However, According to AFP, spokesman Yarden Vatikai said that "of course, we reserve the right to respond if attacked."
The announcement came just hours after Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat declared he had ordered his security commanders not to fire on Israeli targets "even when under fire from Israeli forces" -- the first time he had told his police officers not to shoot back in self-defense if attacked, according to CNN.
Israeli public radio said Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave the order to halt offensive actions after Arafat's declaration and following a sudden lull in the violence that has rocked the region for almost a year.
Additionally, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said talks between Israel and the Palestinians could start in a "matter of days" if a tentative cease-fire launched on Tuesday holds, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said on CNN television, calling Arafats statement "important" and that he welcomed it.
"If [the ceasefire] will go well, then it's a matter of days, then we can really embark on a meeting instead of shooting, and [on] joining in the world coalition against terror," Peres said in the televised CNN interview.
"Undoubtedly the time has come to meet," he said.
The initial talks are aimed at establishing a lasting truce after a year of fighting that has left more than 800 people dead.
"Once a cease-fire is in effect then we can go into political discussions," the dovish minister said.
Arafat has instructed his commanders to "practice restraint and act intensively" in securing the just-declared cease-fire with Israel and appealed again for the resumption of talks, CNN added.
The order on Tuesday -- the first time he had told his police officers not to shoot back if fired upon by Israelis -- came after a night of fighting in which two Palestinians were killed -- one in Hebron and another in Nablus.
"This morning, I again instructed all leaders of the security forces to work intensively on a cease-fire ... and to abstain even in self-defense in response to Israeli attacks," Arafat had been quoted by CNN as saying.
"This morning I have reiterated my orders to all my security commanders to act intensively in securing a cease-fire on all fronts, and in every town and village," Arafat said in his statement.
"I also instructed them to exercise maximum self-restraint in the face of Israeli aggression and attacks."
Arafat, who also said the Palestinian Authority is ready to join an international coalition against terrorism, added: "We, Palestinians and Israelis, have to work together to break the vicious cycle of violence.
"Let us get together, let us sit down and negotiate peace, let us improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians and move towards a just and lasting peace and cooperation."
Commenting on Arafat's move, Peres said "this is an important statement with positive elements which include the overall commitment to peace and in the direct order in his voice to stop the violence," according to CNN's story.
"Stopping the violence is made up of stopping the shootings and stopping the incitement," Peres said.
"One has to welcome the new tone that I, Shimon Peres, hopes will continue."
Peres and Arafat had been scheduled to meet last Sunday, but Sharon had vetoed that meeting, saying that he would allow the meeting only if there was a 48 hour period with no terror attacks.
Speaking at a special Knesset session called to demonstrate solidarity with the United States following last week's terror attacks, the Israeli prime minister said that if Arafat declared a cease-fire, Israel would immediately cease all its initiated actions against the Palestinian Authority.
Then, Sharon said, after 48 hours of complete quiet, Peres and Arafat could meet to discuss ways of stabilizing the cease-fire.
On the eve of the Jewish new year on Monday, Arafat said in a statement that the Palestinian Authority would honor the cease-fire and was ready to implement the Mitchell Report recommendations on renewing a Middle East peace
The UN envoy to the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, told CNN: ''We are at a new juncture and can move forward for the first time in a long time. However the situation on the ground is very fragile."
Being the first to react to the newly-instated cease-fire, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said his country sees "promise" in a tentative cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians and hopes that high-level talks between the two sides will resume quickly.
"We have some promise this morning and let's hopes that we can see some developments that will continue this sense of promise that is with us this morning," Powell told reporters - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
