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Defense Minister Mofaz: IDF Pressure to Accompany Talks on Withdrawal

(Jerusalem Post) - Herb Keinon Even as Israelis and Palestinians were again discussing a gradual withdrawal of IDF units from areas where the Palestinian Authority asserts security control, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday Israel will continue applying heavy military pressure in Hebron, Samaria, and the northern Gaza Strip to thwart terrorist attacks. Mofaz said Hamas and certain elements within Fatah are continuing unabated their efforts to carry out suicide attacks, and for the most part are being thwarted by the IDF's widespread operations in the territories. The defense minister noted that while the Cairo talks among the various Palestinian factions reached a dead end without an agreement on a cease-fire with Israel, the very fact the talks took place at all shows "the Palestinians are questioning the effectiveness of terrorism." At the same time, Maj.-Gen. Amos Gilad, coordinator of government activities in the territories, told the cabinet that Arafat recently shelved a plan to set up a special police force to fight crime in Jenin, preventing the return of a semblance of normality to Palestinian society. Gilad briefed the cabinet on the humanitarian situation in the territories, and detailed measures Israel has taken to ease conditions ahead of the upcoming Id al-Adha festival.
2003-02-10 00:00:00
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