Israel's Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has told senior military and intelligence officials to intensify anti-Palestinian attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to Israel Radio, he said every effort must be made to root out the "terrorists," wherever they are.
The Palestinian Authority leadership, on the other hand, has condemned Israel for the killing of nine Palestinians on Thursday.
A statement from the PA said that the current violence against the Palestinians is part of the election campaign of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Yasser Arafat's adviser Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP that Israel was "reverting to its policy of assassinations and house demolitions for electoral reasons and with the goal of sabotaging the efforts being deployed to ease the situation."(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
