|
  |
|
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Israel shuts West Bank, Gaza
From Andre Brauns
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli defense minister has ordered troops to close the West Bank and Gaza, a ministry source told CNN on Monday. The restriction was intended to prevent terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens and will remain in place four days, the source said. That means Palestinians will be unable to enter Israel, where thousands of them work. The decision was made at 10 p.m. (3 p.m. EST), the source told CNN. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz had told the Israeli Cabinet on Sunday that he would ease restrictions during Eid Al-Adha -- a three-day Muslim holiday commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God's command -- that begins Tuesday. (More on Hajj) But Mofaz reversed himself Monday night because he had received several intelligence reports indicating that suicide attacks and other forms of violence were planned against Israeli civilians, the source said. The source said four Palestinians were arrested Monday on their way to commit terrorist acts against Israelis. No immediate comment was available from the Palestinians or from the Israel Defense Forces. On Sunday, an explosive-laden car carrying three Palestinians detonated as it crashed into a barrier near an Israeli military post in southern Gaza. All three Palestinians died, according to Palestinian medical sources and the IDF, which added that four Israeli soldiers received minor injuries in the explosion at the Gush Katif junction. Military sources told CNN that the men might have been planning a more complex attack but were unable to carry it out because of an extensive IDF presence in the area and attacked the outpost near Gush Katif, a block of Jewish settlements in southern Gaza. Also Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said his new government would seek to remove what he called the Palestinians' "terrorist leadership." But Sharon did not directly call for the removal of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat. Sharon met last week with Ahmad Qorei, chairman of the Palestinian Legislative Council, to discuss the possibility of a new cease-fire, Israeli diplomatic sources said. Sharon's Likud party won the largest share of seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in elections nearly two weeks ago. He now has six weeks to form a government. CNN has learned that Sharon told Israeli President Moshe Katsav on Sunday that his new government would quickly move to adopt President Bush's plan for peace in the region. That plan, outlined in June, calls for a Palestinian state under reformed leadership that will co-exist peacefully with Israel. But chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Sharon's statement about the Palestinian leadership means that the Israeli leader is not serious about peace efforts. "This indicates once again that, irrespective of the composition of the next Israeli government, its main feature will be the continuation of the frozen peace process, settlement activities and undermining efforts to revive peace efforts," Erakat said.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
