In a signal of further escalation in the three-month uprising in the Palestinian territories, Israel confirmed Wednesday that its policy of liquidating Palestinians who are behind attacks on Israelis could also target senior officials of the Palestinian Authority, reported Haaretz newspaper.
"Those who are behind, have already carried out, or planned to carry out terror attacks - this is not a new policy for us - must be hit," Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh told Army Radio.
Asked if Yasser Arafat might also be a candidate for liquidation, Sneh declined to answer directly, according to the paper.
"In the end, any decision will be judged on the basis of its bottom line - will it ultimately cause more damage or more benefit."
In remarks broadcast by the radio Wednesday, Prime Minister Ehud Barak said "We intend to act in the coming weeks with all our might to lower the violence, and to harm whomever harms us ... We are acting, have acted and will act with increasing efficiency in these spheres."
The radio said that despite a lack of concrete evidence, Israeli security authorities believed that several recent attacks including the Monday bombing in Netanya "bore the fingerprints of elements of the Palestinian Authority" or Fateh activists, according to Haaretz -- Albawaba.com
