A bomb exploded Thursday at the farm of a fugitive Islamic Jihad member, killing a Palestinian woman and wounding her son.
In the village of Saida in the northern West Bank, a 55-year-old Palestinian woman was killed and her son was wounded Thursday when a bomb exploded at the chicken farm where they were working, Palestinian security officials said. The farm belonged to an Islamic Jihad fugitive, Ahmed Yassin, 30, the officials said.
Elsewhere, Israeli troops arrested Wajih Qawas, the leader of Hamas in the West Bank city of Qalqilyah overnight Wednesday, Israel Radio reported, quoting Palestinian sources. Two Palestinians on Israel's wanted list were also arrested in the Bethlehem area, Army Radio reported Thursday morning.
Israeli police on Thursday detained a senior official of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem on suspicion he expressed support for "terrorist" organizations and illegally entered an enemy country. Atallah Hanna was taken from his home in east Jerusalem. He was detained for questioning, following an order by Israel's Attorney General, Elyakim Rubenstein.
In other incidents in the Palestinian territories, shots were fired at the West Bank settlement of Sanur and at an Israeli outpost in the Erez industrial center in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.
Also Thursday, the Palestinian security chief, Abdel Razek Yehiyeh, was in Gaza for a renewed attempt at persuading Hamas and Islamic Jihad to halt shooting and bombing attacks in Israel, senior Palestinian officials said, according to AP.
Later Thursday, 12 Palestinian factions, including the Islamic groups, were to resume talks in Gaza City on a joint political platform. Talks broke down earlier this month after Hamas and Islamic Jihad vetoed clauses calling for an end to attacks on Israelis and implying recognition of Israel.
Security talks
Israeli and Palestinian security officials resumed talks Wednesday night on a staged Israeli pullback from reoccupied areas. Palestinian delegates said after the meeting "We have talked about a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the arrangement for an initial pullout from Gaza and Bethlehem."
The Palestinian leadership lashed out at Israel as the talks opened, accusing it of "doubletalk" in expecting the Palestinians to discuss security after the overnight raid into the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis which killed one civilian and wounded four. "The continuation of Israeli attacks without the slightest provocation from the Palestinian side ... can only have a destructive outcome," said the statement carried by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
But, according to AFP, the Israeli army insisted the talks had been held in a "positive atmosphere." "The Palestinian side agreed to act immediately to restore calm on the ground and prevent violence," an army statement said. "The Israel Defence Force will continue to implement measures to alleviate the living conditions of the Palestinian population," it added, although it stressed the process would be "dependent on the results recorded" and be "re-examined on a daily basis."
Sector commanders would meet next week to follow up on Wednesday's talks between General Moshe Kaplinsky, who heads Israel's central command, and Gaza Strip public security chief General Abdel Razaq al-Majaida, it added.
Quartet
Meanwhile, Palestinian officials are scheduled to meet Thursday with members of the 'Quartet' - U.S., Russian, EU and UN officials - in Paris to discuss reforms to be implemented in the Palestinian Authority, Israel Radio reported. The World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Norway and Japan are also due to take part in the talks.
According to reports, the CIA is moving forward with its plans for an overhaul of the Palestinian security services, which is perceived by the U.S. administration as a necessary first step toward any political progress. Next week, the CIA officials who will oversee the reorganization of the PA security forces are due in the region, Haaretz reported. But first, CIA Director George Tenet is expected to meet with his counterparts from Jordan and Egypt to finalize their role in the plan.
The CIA plan is based on restructuring the security services and training new ranks with the help of Egyptian, Jordanian and American trainers. In the short run, the administration is proposing the PA take local security responsibility, based on the Gaza and Bethlehem first model. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
