Arafat arrests 15 policemen in crackdown on militants
The Palestinian Authority has arrested 15 of its own policemen as part of Yasser Arafat’s crackdown on militants involved in attacks on Israel.
The move marks the first time in the 16-month-old Palestinian Intefadeh that Mr Arafat has ordered the arrest of his own policemen on suspicion of aiding attacks on Israel.
Elsewhere today, Palestinian police closed six Hamas offices in Gaza City which were used as centres for youth, political and social activities. Mohammed Dahlan, a police spokesman in Gaza, said the Palestinian Authority will not tolerate independent action by Islamic militants.
Today’s arrests come after Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader for more than 30 years, called for an end to attacks on Israel. He also condemned suicide bombings carried out by Palestinians, describing them as "terrorist activities" for the first time ever.
Israel has expressed scepticism about Arafat’s intentions and last week, the Israeli Government severed all ties with him, declaring him "irrelevant" to the search for peace in the Middle East. Despite this, Israel admitted last night that Mr Arafat’s crackdown has led to a significant reduction in Palestinian violence.
The Israeli army reported only three relatively minor incidents overnight, including one where Palestinian militants shot at an Israeli army post in Gaza. Nobody was injured in the attack.
