A Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip announced on Sunday it was joining a truce in attacks on Israelis. "We are committed to the truce initiative," said a statement issued by the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), a coalition of activists who have left other Palestinian groups, mainly Fatah.
But it said its three-month suspension of attacks on Israeli targets was conditional on Israel's release of all Palestinian prisoners, an end to Israeli attacks on activists and the lifting of a "siege" around Palestinian cities.
"If Israel violates any of the conditions...we will consider ourselves free of the commitment we made," a PRC spokesman said.
Palestinian security forces arrested five PRC members in the Gaza Strip several days ago on suspicion of firing mortar bombs on Israeli settlements in violation of the truce.
Meanwhile, a prominent leader from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) dismissed an Israeli military intelligence report by general Aharon Ze’evi, claiming that recent information made available to the Israeli intelligence suggested that the PFLP would announce Sunday or Monday a cease-fire (Hudna) with Israel.
The PFLP leader - Kayed al Ghoul - told Al Bawaba that the “Israeli claims are baseless”, adding that his movement “rejected the truce as it is in line with their political stance…which rejects the ‘roadmap’.”
The PFLP is the second largest of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) factions. On August 27, 2001, Israel’s fighter jets fired rockets at the PFLP office in Ramallah killing its leader - Abu Ali Mustafa. Two months after the attack, the PFLP’s military wing responded to the Israeli assassination by assassinating a hard line Israeli minister - Rehabham Ze’evi, Israel’s minister of tourism at the time.
Following the death of Mustafa, the PFLP elected Ahmed Sa’adat as the new secretary general, who was later accused by Israel of masterminding Ze’evi’s assassination. Israel replied by carrying out a siege on the headquarters of the PA’s leader [Yasser Arafat] and refused to lift it unless Sa’adat was handed over to the Israeli authorities. Ensuing negotiations between Israel and the PA concluded a deal under which Sa’adat would be imprisoned in Jericho under the supervision of US and British forces. As a result of the recent ‘truce’ negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli premiers (Abu Mazen and Sharon), Israel agreed to release the PFLP leader as part of its efforts to support the PA in its reform process.
In his statement to Al Bawaba, Ghoul refused the idea of ‘bartering’ the release of Sa’adat for PFLP’s acceptance of the current truce, saying, “The release of the PFLP secretary general is a different issue and [the PFLP] will not link it to its political stance.”
Fatah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad have recently announced a ‘truce’ with Israel following the Palestinian premier’s push for Bush’s ‘roadmap’ - the factions agreed to halt all military operations against Israel for three months. However, Fatah has agreed to accept the truce for six months provided Israel release all Palestinian prisoners and halt its [Israel’s] military operations against the Palestinians. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
