Israeli Occupation Forces withdraw from Northern Gaza, Prepare for Withdrawal from Bethlehem

News, June 2003, Al-Jazeerah.info

PLO Blesses Truce, Urges Israeli Commitment to ‘Roadmap’

30/06/2003

Palestine Media Center- (PMC)

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Sunday welcomed the declaration by Palestinian factions to stop all military acts “in accordance with the Egyptian initiative,” which reportedly proposed a six-month truce, as the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) began their withdrawal from reoccupied areas in the northern Gaza Strip, amid talks between visiting US national security adviser Condolizza Rice and Palestinian and Israeli officials.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the executive committee of the PLO announced “to all states and freedom and peace-loving powers worldwide, its blessing of the initiative of Palestinian factions to stop all military acts as of the date hereof (29 June 2003) in accordance with the Egyptian initiative.”

For months, Egypt has been sponsoring national Palestinian dialogue with the aim of reaching consensus among 13 Palestinian national and Islamic groups on a common strategy to deal with the so-called “roadmap” peace plan, which was drafted and adopted by international diplomatic mediators representing the US, the UN, the EU and Russia, with a proposal of a six-month Hudna (truce) with the IOF.

On Sunday, the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” and the Islamic Jihad announced in a joint statement a three-month suspension of anti-occupation attacks in a major boost for the US-backed peace “roadmap.”

Hours later, Fatah and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) followed suit with a similar statement, though Fatah’s statement announced a six-month suspension of anti-occupation attacks, to be more in harmony with the Egyptian proposal.

The factions failed to produce a joint statement after differences emerged over the inclusion of a reference to the “roadmap,” which calls for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel by 2005.

Hailing the factions’ initiative, the PLO called on “all states, peoples and governments worldwide, in particular those concerned with achieving peace, security and stability in the (Middle East) region to oblige the Israeli side to commit to the implementation of the immediate withdrawal to pre-September 2000 lines and other Israeli obligations stipulated by the ‘roadmap’.”

The world community was also called on to commit Israel “to immediately begin withdrawal of the occupation forces to their positions prior to 28 September 2000, implement the roadmap, and to quickly send international monitors to supervise its implementation in compliance with the resolutions of international legitimacy in order to establish the just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the region,” the PLO’s statement said.

The statement, reported by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA, also urged the world community to help obliging Israel to immediately stop all forms of aggression against the Palestinian people.

“All forms of Israeli aggression against our people should stop immediately, including assassinations, arrests, deportation and massacres and (IOF military) incursions, demolition of houses, infrastructure, private and public institutions, destruction of agricultural areas, confiscation of land and the ‘Judaization’ processes must stop as well,” the statement said.

The PLO executives also called for ending the Israeli siege and the release of Palestinian detainees.

“The siege imposed on Palestinian people and its elected legitimate leadership should be lifted” and “all (Palestinian) detainees in Israeli prisons should be released.”

Islamic and Christian holy places should be protected from Israeli encroachment and abuse, mainly the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, Church of the Holy Sepulcher in occupied east Jerusalem and al-Ibrahimi mosque compound in Hebron, the PLO said.

“Confiscation of Palestinian land, building of illegal Israeli settlements and expanding the established ones (on occupied territories) should stop immediately to pave the way for their removal,” the PLO insisted, adding that separation walls should be removed as well.

The PLO is recognized worldwide as the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people and its views reflect those of all member factions and groups. It has been the peace partner to all signed accords with the Jewish state.

PNA Is Israel’s Only Interlocutor: Gissin

Israel on Sunday announced it was unimpressed by the ceasefire declaration by Hamas and Jihad groups, who are not members of the PLO, and warned it would only deal with the Palestine National Authority (PNA), which led by the PLO leadership.

“We factions of the Palestinian resistance, signatories of this document, announce the following undertaking: the suspension of military operations against the Zionist enemy for three months starting today and with conditions,” Hamas and Islamic Jihad said in a joint statement.

“All types of Zionist aggression against the Palestinian people must cease immediately, from raids, to destruction, closure and siege on cities, villages and refugee camps, including the siege imposed on president Yasser Arafat,” it added.

The statement also called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

Fatah and the DFLP made virtually identical demands in their statements.

All groups warned that if Israel did not respect the terms of the truce they would no longer consider themselves bound by it.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) welcomed the freeze on anti-Israeli attacks.

“We applaud the agreement which was reached by Palestinian groups,” said the Palestinian premier, who stressed “the necessity of continuing a dialogue to preserve unity within the Palestinian ranks.”

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s spokesman said the Jewish state would ignore the truce because its only interlocutor is the PNA.

“We do not give any value to this announcement. Our only interlocutor to obtain the dismantlement of terrorist organizations is the Palestinian Authority,” Raanan Gissin said.

However, the IOF troops and tanks began on Sunday night withdrawing from the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun, as part of a deal aimed at implementing the “roadmap.”

Under the redeployment deal reached Sunday, the main north-south road in the Gaza Strip will also be opened 24 hours a day and restrictions at the southern border crossing into Egypt will be eased, Palestinian sources said.

Palestinian men under the age of 35 will again be allowed to leave the Gaza Strip and a greater number of day laborers will reportedly be allowed to work in Israel.

A similar arrangement is expected this week in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Governorate of Bethlehem in accordance with the deal concluded last Thursday between the PNA Minister of State for Security Affairs Mohammad Dahlan and the IOF coordinator in occupied territory General Amos Gilad.

The movement on the peace front coincided with a visit to the region by US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, who US President George W. Bush has tapped to ensure his Middle East policy is implemented.

Ahead of Rice’s visit, the White House said “The United States applauds the agreement in principle between Israel and the Palestinian Authority to transfer security responsibilities in Gaza. The agreement represents a first significant joint step toward implementation of commitments made by each party at the Aqaba summit,” a statement by the Office of the Press Secretary said on Friday.

The PNA voiced a similar point of view.

“This agreement is the first step toward a total Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as the application of the ‘roadmap,’” President Yasser Arafat’s media adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina said on Friday.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

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