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Special report: Internal situation in
Palestine
Israel launches Gaza
assault
BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- In a move
that could affect efforts to ease a Western economic boycott, Hamas
announced on Tuesday a planned Palestinian unity government "would not recognize
Israel or accept a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict."
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the program of the
proposed unity government between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas's Fatah faction "will not recognize Israel and will not include accepting
the two-state solution."
"We reject the two-state solution, which is the
vision of U.S. President George Bush, because it represents a clear recognition
of Israel," Barhoum said.
"Our position in this regard remains unchanged. We
reject joining in any government that recognizes Israel."
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A Palestinian carries the body of
one-and-a-half year old Maram Al-Athamna, after she was killed together
with her family by Israeli artillery shell, during her funeral at Beit
Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip Nov. 9, 2006. (Xinhua/AFP
Photo)
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In an apparent breakthrough only two days ago, Hamas
and Fatah, which lost power to Hamas in elections last January, agreed to
replace Hamas's Ismail Haniyeh as prime minister with Mohammed Shubair, 60, a
moderate U.S.-educated research scientist and university administrator. It was
hoped such a move might end the western economic blockade.
Yuval Diskin, head of Israel's Shin Bet security
service, said Hamas would benefit under the arrangement because "it would
continue to exert control from behind the scenes while skirting responsibility
for the outcome of the new government's policies."
The United States and its partners in the Quartet of
Middle East mediators imposed the boycott to pressure Hamas, which took office
in March, to recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and accept
existing peace deals.
The United States and the European Union regard Hamas
as "a terrorist organization" and have cut off direct aid to its administration.
As a result, the Palestinian government has largely been unable to pay its
165,000 workers since April.
In another development, Israel is on the brink of a
policy U-turn that would authorise 1,500 armed Palestinian soldiers based in
Jordan to move into the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Daily Telegraph
reported.
It reverses years of strict military sanctions
imposed by Israel on the territories because of "fears that weapons provided to
Palestinians would end up being used for attacks on Israeli
targets."
(Agencies)
Fatah, Hamas agree on portfolios of
new gov't
GAZA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian mainstream Fatah and Hamas movements
have reached an initial deal on portfolios of the new Palestinian coalition
government, local independent Maan news agency reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the deal authorizes 10 portfolios for Hamas (Islamic
Resistance Movement) and 6 for Fatah in the upcoming government of national
unity. Full story>>
Security chief: Israel must prepare
for wide operation in Gaza
JERUSALEM, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chief of Israeli security
agency Shin Bet Yuval Diskin said on Tuesday that Israel must prepare for a
broad military offensive in the Gaza Strip if Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas' Fatah movement continues to become weak, local media reported.
Diskin made the remarks when he gave testimony before the
Knesset (parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Full story>>
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