Israel will allow some Palestinian policemen to carry arms, Israeli officials said Thursday.
An approval in principle for the measure was given during a meeting Thursday between Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and senior Israeli military and Shin Bet officials.
The idea of allowing Palestinian police to resume carrying arms was raised by Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon in January, but Palestinian president Yasser Arafat refused the move at the time. This week, the Palestinians sought approval for their uniformed police to carry weapons in the West Bank because the PA wants them to help fight the chaos in the Palestinian territories, mainly in Jenin and Nablus.
Apparently, Israel will allow the police to carry handguns, rather than rifles, and they will be banned from areas close to where Israeli troops are located.
Meanwhile, in Gaza Strip, a senior Palestinian activist escaped an apparent Israeli attempt to kill him on Thursday when a missile missed his car, witnesses said.
They said Jamal Abu Samhadana of the Popular Resistance Committees was on the road between Khan Younis and Rafah when the missile struck nearby. The car's occupants leapt from the vehicle after the strike. (albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
