Islamic militants warned to stop attacks
Islamic militant leaders were yesterday summoned by the Palestinian Authority and warned there would be a tough response if they did not stop attacks on Israelis.
In the Gaza Strip, four Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire and an Israeli motorist was wounded in a roadside ambush.
The Islamic Jihad group said it would defy police orders, while the larger Hamas faction suggested it would abide by a truce with Israel temporarily.
In an attack on Sunday, a 17-year-old Islamic Jihad supporter blew himself up near an Israeli car, killing himself and the Israeli driver. The assailant was the 100th suicide bomber sent to attack Israeli targets since 1993, Israel said.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been trying to enforce a September 26 cease-fire with Israel, but has been unable to stop attacks on Israelis.
Israel has accused Mr Arafat of doing very little to rein in militants, despite his promises.
Three suspected Islamic militants were arrested in the West Bank over the weekend, but Israeli defence minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said he expected more.
Israel insists that the Palestinians arrest 108 suspected militants, and has handed over a list of names.
‘‘I have confirmation of a very small number of arrests, certainly not the long list of 108 or 48, not even 10,’’ Mr Ben-Eliezer said.
In weekend meetings, Islamic militant leaders were told by Palestinian security forces that ‘‘the cease fire this time is very serious,’’ said Abdel Halim Izzedine, the Islamic Jihad leader in the West Bank town of Jenin.
Izzedine said Islamic Jihad representatives told security officials they would not honour the truce.
Hamas suggested it would not challenge the Palestinian Authority openly.
‘‘One of the important things ... is to maintain national unity,’’ said Taysir Imran, a Hamas leader in the West Bank town of Nablus. ‘‘I think that a cease-fire is like a cloud and it will soon pass.’’
In response to Sunday’s suicide bombing, Palestinian police arrested two Islamic Jihad supporters, Mr Izzedine said.
The assailant, Ahmed Daraghmeh, was reported missing Saturday by his parents who told Palestinian security forces they feared he might be trying to carrying out an attack. Palestinian officials said they warned Israel of the danger.
Israeli security sources said that since 1993, 100 suicide bombers have been sent to attack Israeli targets - 66 by Hamas and 34 by Islamic Jihad. The bombers were relatively young; 68 were age 23 and under.
Most of the attackers were educated, with 46 having gone to university and 31 having completed high school. Seventy-five assailants were killed during their mission, while 25 were intercepted.
In the Gaza Strip yesterday, three Palestinian militants were shot and killed by Israeli troops as they tried to lay an explosive near the Karni crossing, the Israeli army said. Palestinian security did not immediately comment on the incident, which took place in an Israeli-controlled area.
Earlier, a Palestinian man was killed by Israeli fire near an Israeli army post in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian police said. Palestinian officials said they were contacted by the Israeli army and asked to pick up the body. The army had no immediate response.
In Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a flashpoint throughout the year of fighting, Israeli troops fired from heavy machine guns mounted on tanks, Palestinian witnesses said. The Israeli army said it fired in response to Palestinian fire at its forces. It was not immediately clear if there were injuries.
Three mortar shells were shot toward Jewish settlements in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday but caused no injuries and no damage, the Israeli army spokesman said.
Also in the Gaza Strip, an Israeli motorist was seriously wounded in a roadside shooting attack, the army said.
