Seven killed at army post shooting in Gaza
( 2003-06-08 15:08) (7)
Three Palestinians disguised as Israeli soldiers sneaked into an army post Sunday and killed four Israelis before being killed by troops. It was the first deadly attack since last week's Mideast summit.
The shooting was a major setback to a U.S.-backed peace plan and came just hours after Palestinian militant groups affirmed they would not halt attacks on Israelis.
Three armed groups - Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade - claimed joint responsibility for the shooting. A leaflet gave the names of the gunmen, all in their early 20s, one from each group.
"This joint operation was committed to confirm our people's united choice of holy war and resistance until the end of occupation over our land and holy places," the leaflet said.
The Al Aqsa militia is linked to the ruling Fatah movement, and its involvement in the shooting was a direct challenge to Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Fatah member, who has been trying to persuade militants to halt attacks on Israelis.
The Israeli military declined comment on the Israeli dead and wounded. However, medics and an Israeli settler spokesman said four Israelis were killed and four were wounded in the shooting.
The gunmen, who wore Israeli army uniforms, attacked the army post near the Erez border crossing into Israel just after dawn. The post is near an Israeli-run industrial zone at the northern end of the Gaza Strip.
The shooting underscored the determination of militants to derail the so-called "road map" to Mideast peace, which envisions a Palestinian state by 2005. The three-stage plan was formally launched at last week's Mideast summit in Jordan, with President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Abbas attending.
Success of the road map depends to a large extent on Abbas' ability to rein in the militant groups. Abbas has said he will not use force against the armed groups for fear of civil war, and as recently as last week appeared confident that he could negotiate a truce with them.
However, Hamas, the most deadly of the groups, walked away from truce talks Friday, saying Abbas made too many concessions in his speech at the summit. In his speech, Abbas condemned violence against Israelis and called for an end to the "armed intefadeh."
On Saturday, Hamas met with Islamic Jihad and other radical factions, and participants agreed they would not stop bombings and shootings. "All agree on our peoples rights to resist occupation," a Hamas leader, Abdel Aziz Rantisi, said Saturday.
Reflecting the continuing tension, Israel reimposed a closure on the West Bank, banning Palestinians from entering Israel, except for humanitarian cases. The military said the closure was in force as of midnight, "due to serious security alerts."
After Sunday's shooting, Gaza crossings into Israel were also closed.
Israeli security sources said there have been dozens of warnings of planned terror attacks. Israel had lifted its last closure just a week ago after a meeting between Abbas and Sharon.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said Saturday that Abbas would never use force against Hamas. That meant Hamas' decision to leave the truce talks could derail the peace plan, he said.
"We either reach a voluntary cease-fire ... or there will be no deal with Israel or road map," Shaath said in an interview with Future TV, based in Lebanon. "Our friends in Hamas and Jihad should acknowledge this and act responsibly."
Shaath accused Hamas leaders of jumping the gun by pulling out of the talks before Abbas could meet with them to explain what happened in closed-door meetings at the summit.
Palestinian officials said before Sunday's attack that the Hamas walkout may not be final and there's still a chance for a truce. Hamas, known for its pragmatism, would not risk a confrontation with security forces and would quickly resume talks, they said.
Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr, speaking before a Palestinian Cabinet meeting Saturday, urged Hamas to return to the negotiations and give Abbas a chance to defend his actions at the summit.
"The only way to resolve the issue ... is through dialogue and whoever leaves the negotiating table is the loser," he said.
The Palestinian parliament plans to hold a special session soon to hear a report from Abbas on the latest developments, Amr said.
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