Israeli soldiers on Sunday captured two Palestinian fighters in the northern Gaza Strip, a military official said. The incident took place near the Jewish settlement of Alei Sinai, according to Israel radio.
The Palestinians were approaching the settlement's security fence when the soldiers opened fire and cut off the Palestinians' retreat, the radio added. The Palestinians returned fire but surrendered soon afterward.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Palestinians were wearing camouflage uniforms and carried Kalashnikov rifles, AP repored.
Mortar shells were fired at several locations in the Gaza Strip early Sunday, including a settlement in the Gush Katif bloc and an Israeli post, the radio added.
Meanwhile, eight West Bank security officials told Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a meeting Saturday evening that they would not work with former Jenin governor Zuhair Manasreh. Manasreh was appointed by the PA chairman to replace West Bank security chief Jibril Rajoub, who was fired last week. The meeting lasted for about two hours.
Major General Majed Faraj, the head of preventive security in the West Bank town of Hebron, said security officers rejected Manasreh's appointment, and added that only someone from inside the security organization would be capable of running it.
"We don't want someone who is not a member of the preventive security to be our chief. We want either someone from the preventive security to replace Rajoub, or to bring Rajoub back," said Issa Abu Azzam, one of the officers meeting with Arafat.
After the meeting, it was reported that Arafat had promised that Rajoub will be appointed to an important position and will be to his (Arafat's) side in the security and political inner circlr, said security officers that participated in the meeting. According to Xinuha, Arafat told the officers that the arrangements are "temporary."
Arafat said he understands their situation, promising that the coming days will be much better for them, according to Sabri Tmeizi, one of Rajoub's aides.
For his part, Manasra told reporters Saturday that he would do his best as the new security chief to prevent the Palestinian youths from carrying out suicide bombing attacks against Israel. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
