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"This
Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is not enough and is not
real," Hanieh
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GAZA
CITY, June 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Senior officials
of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad (IJ) groups said Monday, June 30,
Israel's pullout of the northern Gaza Strip overnight was not enough,
as Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades shot at a settler vehicle, killing a
foreign worker.
"This
Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is not enough and is not
real," Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Ismail Hanieh, a
spokesman for Hamas, as saying.
"We
don't oppose an Israeli withdrawal from any parts of our land as the
Palestinian people's struggle aims at that, but this particular
withdrawal must be real and the departure of the occupation
real," he added.
Top
Islamic Jihad official Mohammed Al-Hindi also criticized the
withdrawal, slamming it as "incomplete."
"The
Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip is incomplete, we want our land
to be free of every soldier and settlement," he said,
acknowledging however that "any Zionist withdrawal is in the
interest of the Palestinian people."
"We
believe this withdrawal came in response to the resistance and holy
war on the ground," he added.
Israeli
troops withdrew
late Sunday, June 29, from the northern Gaza towns of Beit Hanun and
Beit Lahia, as part of a deal aimed at implementing the U.S.-driven
Middle East 'roadmap,' which aims to end 33 months of violence and
establish a lasting peace.
The
Israeli withdrawal came also after the two Palestinian resistance
movements Hamas and the Islamic Jihad issued a
joint statement declaring a three-month ceasefire.
They
were followed hours later by the Fatah party of Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat and the leftist Democratic Front for the Liberation of
Palestine (DFLP).
The
factions failed to produce a joint statement after
differences emerged over the inclusion of a reference to the
'roadmap,' and the cease fire period.
Shooting
On
the ground, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed the killing of a foreign
worker Monday as the Israeli army blew up the family home of Moussa
Owa, the cousin of a Palestinian fighters arrested three days ago, in
what is seen as a challenge for the truce declaration from both sides.
"A
unit of the Jenin refugee camp martyrs shot at a (Jewish) settler
vehicle and killed the driver," a member of the Brigades told AFP
by phone.
"This
action is in response to the genocide committed by Israel and its
rejection of the so-called truce."
The
brigades vowed to continue its struggle "as long as the
occupation continues," he added.
Israeli
military sources also reported Monday only minor incidents in the
Palestinian territories following a ceasefire declaration by militant
groups.
In
the southern Gaza Strip, an anti-tank grenade was fired at an Israeli
military position near the Jewish settlement of Neve Dekalim, and
troops came under automatic weapon fire near Rafah, causing no
casualties.
Bullets
were also fired at a settlement in the Gush Katif bloc.
In
the northern West Bank refugee camp at Tulkarm, Israeli army said they
found an explosive belt they claim intended to have been worn by a
Palestinian arrested last week.
Major
Step
On
the other hand, France welcomed Monday the ceasefire declaration and
the Israeli withdrawal from parts of the Gaza Strip and the expected
pull-out from Bethlehem as a "major step" toward Middle East
peace.
"France
is very glad about the agreement between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority that provides for the (Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza and
Bethlehem," said foreign ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous.
"It's
a major step in the implementation of the roadmap, and we would like
the implementation of the plan to continue," he added.
The
White House on Sunday welcomed the truce declaration, but said
"terrorist networks" must be broken to insure a lasting
peace.
"Anything
that reduces violence is a step in the right direction," said
White House spokeswoman Ashley Snee.
U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan also welcomed the ceasefire declaration
and called for all parties to do their utmost to ensure it was a
turning point in breaking the cycle of violence.
"Along
with the agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip and
Bethlehem, today's ceasefire announcement offers a glimpse of
hope," Annan said.
The
U.N. chief said in a written statement that he hoped the "groups,
the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will do
everything necessary to ensure that the ceasefire represents a full
and complete end to violence and terror."
China
also welcomed the truce declaration and urged both sides to continue
to work for peace in the Middle East.
"China
welcomes and supports the positive steps taken by the Palestinians and
Israel, which will help break the deadlock in the Middle East peace
process," foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan was quoted by
Xinhua news agency as saying.
However,
Iran was skeptical of any progress on the peace front as long as
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon remains in office.
"It
is up to the Palestinians to express their views," foreign
ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi told reporters. "But given
the presence of Sharon, we cannot expect to see any positive
developments in Israel's relationship with Palestine and the Middle
East."
Dismantling
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"Those
organizations have to be dismantled," Powell
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Meanwhile,
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that the truce will
endure only if Palestinian factions are dismantled.
While
calling the truce "a positive development", the U.S.
Secretary of State said it was not enough to ensure lasting peace.
"We
ultimately have to get to the point where the capability for terrorism
that exists in these organizations is removed," AFP quoted Powell
as telling NBC's Today Show program.
"You
can't have people with guns, armed militias, inside of a state,"
he said. "If you're going to have a Palestinian state, all the
force, all the weapons have to be under the government of the
state."
"Those
organizations have to be dismantled," Powell said.
Powell
said that if the weekend's ceasefire holds, and if both sides make a
good faith effort to abide by the agreement in Aqaba
summit, similar agreements could soon be set in motion in
other localities in the region.
"Hopefully
this will now shift to Bethlehem and we can see a transfer in
Bethlehem, and as confidence and trust are developed, hopefully (in)
the other cities and towns in the West Bank."
Powell
added that the U.S. troops would not play a role as guarantors of a
peace agreement in the Middle East.
"I
don't anticipate ... United States armed forces actually going in as
some sort of peace keeping force," said Powell.
"We
can help the two sides: We can be facilitators, monitors, evaluators
of what's going on, but I don't see a role for United States armed
forces in the region," he said.
U.S.
President George W. Bush urged the European Union Wednesday, June 25,
to take "swift
and decisive" action to starve Islamic resistance
movement Hamas of money and support, but the bloc put off such a
decision amid clear opposition from some of its members.
However,
the Palestinian head of preventive security, Rashid Abu Shbek,
stressed that disarming Palestinian factions was still out of the
question.
He
said that that the Palestinians would not give in to Israel's demand
that Palestinian groups be disarmed.
"We
don't take our orders from Israel. We work for the interest of the
Palestinian people and we don't want a civil war here," he said.
"What
is required is to stop attacks against Israel and if weapons are not
used against Israelis then we'll have accomplished our mission,"
he insisted.
"Israeli
settlers are armed to the teeth, and Israel is not confiscating their
weapons. If a settler carries out an attack against a Palestinian, he
should be tried. We'll do the same on our side," he added.
