Israel returns bodies of Palestinian militants to Gaza
The Israeli military delivered the bodies of 15 militants to the Palestinians for burial today, a handover celebrated in Gaza as the first real achievement of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who is trying to prevent militants from straying from a fragile truce.
The latest dividend of improved relations between Israel and the Palestinians came as Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that he would ask the Cabinet next week to formally serve notice of the government’s intention to withdraw from Gaza and four West Bank settlements.
The planned pullout has created a politically charged atmosphere in Israel, and prominent Israeli politicians called for detaining Jewish extremists without trial or charges, as a response to a wave of threats against government ministers who support the withdrawal.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets as 15 ambulances carrying the bodies of the militants rolled into Gaza City’s main square, escorted by Palestinian security. Dozens of armed men stood in the square, raising the banners of their factions and saluting the bodies.
A sign bearing the name of the dead man inside was placed on the windshield of each ambulance. The Palestinian police band played the Palestinian national anthem in the background.
The militants were killed in attacks on Israeli army outposts in Gaza and other Israeli targets over the past two years. It was not clear why Israel had kept the remains of these particular attackers.
Abbas said the war with Israel is in effect over, and that Sharon is speaking “a different language” to the Palestinians. He also spoke of a new beginning for the region, and said he has reined in Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants following a Hamas attack on Jewish settlements in Gaza after the summit.
Sharon told members of his Likud Party today that Israel’s current dialogue with the Palestinians includes the disengagement. “If we are fired upon during the withdrawal from Gaza, the response will be harsh,” he said.
“Nobody’s around forever, he said. “I want to sort these things out while I’m still here.”
Sharon told the party meeting that one leaflet in circulation carries a threat to dig up his late wife, Lily, from her grave. The family has hired guards for the grave, he said.
