Palestinian PM Ahmed Qurei on Thursday said that the the Israeli imminent withdrawal from Gaza Strip makes the liberation of the rest Palestinian territories more close. The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip "makes the liberating of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip closer than ever," Qurei said during a celebration in Gaza City.
According to RNA, thousands of Palestinians participated in a rally celebrating the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The PA premier reiterated the Palestinian refusal of establishing a "contemporary Palestinian state" with contemporary borders.
He pointed out that the Israeli withdrawal is "unprecedented step" after 38 years of occupation.
According to AFP, meanwhile, eight members of the Islamic Jihad, including its chief spokesman in the West Bank, were arrested on Thursday by Israeli soldiers, Israeli military and Islamic Jihad sources said.
Islamic Jihad said one of those arrested was Adnan Khader, their chief spokesman in the West Bank. He was detained during an operation by an undercover unit in Ramallah at dawn.
