august 28

Rescuers and police inspect the site of a bomb blast in southern Israel where five people were wounded in the first Palestinian attack since the pullout from Gaza.(AFP/Shai Shmueli

Suicide bomber wounds 10, 2 seriously, in Be'er Sheva blast

Last update - 10:24 28/08/2005
Suicide bomber wounds 10, 2 seriously, in Be'er Sheva blast
By Amos Harel and Nir Hasson, Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies

A suicide bomber rocked the center of the Negev capital of Be'er Sheva early Sunday, wounding at least 10 people, two of them seriously, in the first such terror attack since Israel began its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip earlier this month.

The bomber had aroused the suspicions of the driver of a crowded Number 9 bus. Asked by the bomber if his bus went to Soroka, the driver directed him to another area, then alerted security guards, who pursued the attacker until he set off the bomb.

Witnesses said the alertness of the driver and the guards prevented what could have been a much more costly attack. The explosion occurred during the morning rush hour at the start of the Israeli work week.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, which came three days after the Islamic Jihad had sworn "painful" revenge for a raid in which IDF troops killed five Palestinians in their hideout in the West Bank city of Tulkarm.

"A suicide bomber blew himself up on the street before he could get on a bus," police spokesman Avi Zelba said. "At least 10 people were wounded, two of them seriously."

The bus driver told Israel Radio the suicide bomber was carrying a heavy bag and drew his suspicion.

"I was suspicious of him, he had a large back pack and a plastic bag in his hand," a witness who identified himself as a bus driver named Rami told Israel Radio. "I pointed him out to the guard. He was about 20 meters from the bus when he blew up. It was a huge explosion, very big," he said.

The bomber then detonated the explosives, seriously wounding the two guards. The wounded were all taken to Soroka Hospital in the city.

Yehuda Shoshan, a paramedic, said the two security guards were critically wounded. "They were suffering from shrapnel wounds and burns all over their bodies," he told Channel 10 TV.

A suicide bomber last struck in Israel on July 12, killing
five people outside a shopping mall in the coastal city of
Netanya.

Earlier in the year a Palestinian Gaza resident was caught on her way to carry out a suicide bombing at the Soroka Medical Center. She tried to take advantage of an entry permit into Israel she obtained in order to receive medical treatemnt there.

Israel said soon after the bombing that unless the Palestinian Authority took steps to curb terrorism, there would no progress on the diplomatic front.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack, saying "Violence will bring more violence, and what Israelis and Palestinians need today is more peace and not violence."

August 28 Suicide Bomber Strikes Israeli Bus Station

An ambulance evacuates the wounded from the scene of the bombing.
Photo: Channel 2 august 28

Suicide Bomber Strikes Israeli Bus Station



JERUSALEM - A suicide bomber blew himself up next to a bus at a station in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Sunday, wounding at least 10 people, officials said. The attack was the first since Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip this month.

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Witnesses said the bomber was stopped by a security guard before he could board the bus.

"I was suspicious of him. He had a large backpack and a plastic bag in his hand," a witness who identified himself as a bus driver named Rami told Israel Radio.

"I pointed him out to the guard. He was about 20 meters (yards) from the bus when he blew up. It was a huge explosion, very big," he said, adding that two security guards had approached the bomber just before the explosion.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The bombing rattled efforts to move the Gaza withdrawal forward to full-fledged peacemaking.

"Israel has taken the necessary steps to further the prospects of peace with the Palestinians," said David Baker, an official in the office of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "This bombing ... is another indication that the Palestinian Authority must take proper steps against terror, and without these steps, there will be no progress."

There has been a lull in attacks since Israel and the Palestinians declared a truce in February. But Palestinian militant groups vowed to attack Israel last week after Israeli troops killed five Palestinians in a raid in the West Bank.

"We condemn this attack and call upon all to make a maximum effort in order to maintain the truce and quiet," Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said. "Violence will bring more violence, and what Israelis and Palestinians need today is more peace and not violence."

Police said they had raised the level of alert across the country.

..

Bombmaker Calls for Eradication of Israel

Bombmaker Calls for Eradication of Israel By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer
19 minutes ago



JERUSALEM - Hamas militants released a videotape Saturday purportedly showing a bombmaker believed to top Israel's most-wanted list celebrating the Gaza Strip pullout as a victory for armed resistance.

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Senior Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who masterminded the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings, also urged the destruction of the Jewish state. It was the latest call for continued violence by Hamas officials as the group refocuses its armed struggle on the West Bank, where most of Israel's 246,000 settlers live.

"You are leaving Gaza today in shame," Deif said in comments directed toward Israel, which finished evacuating the last of its 21 Gaza settlements Monday. "Today you are leaving hell. But we promise you that tomorrow all Palestine will be hell for you, God willing."

In the tape, Deif praised the armed struggle against Israel. Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis since violence resumed in 2000.

"We did not achieve the liberation of the Gaza Strip without this holy war and this steadfastness," he said, adding that attacks should continue until Israel is eradicated.

Israel's obliteration is Hamas' ultimate goal.

On Sunday, a suicide attacker blew himself up next to a bus in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, wounding at least 10 people, officials said. Witnesses said the bomber was stopped by a security guard before he could board the bus.

The bombing was the first since Israel began its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip earlier in the month. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Deif, known for operating in the shadows, has eluded Israeli security forces for more than a decade, surviving at least two assassination attempts, including a 2002 missile attack in which he lost an eye.

There was no way to positively identify the figure on the videotape as Deif, because his face was in silhouette. He has been in hiding since 1992 and the only known photos of him were taken in the 1980s.

But the high quality of the video, which was stamped with the logo of the Hamas military wing, as well as the similarity of the voice to previous recordings indicated the tape was authentic.

Hamas would not say when the tape was made. But it had boasted for nearly two weeks that Deif would make a public statement, and militants delivered the tape to The Associated Press offices in Gaza City. The group also posted a transcript of his comments on its Web site.

Gideon Meir, an Israeli Foreign Ministry senior official, said Deif's comments threatened to sour the climate of good will that the Gaza pullout created.

"The disengagement opened a prospect of hope for the Palestinian people and Mohammed Deif is trying to spoil the show," Meir said. "His declaration proves again why the Palestinian Authority must fulfill its duty and fight the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades."

Separately, President Bush also called on the Palestinians to clamp down on militants after the Gaza pullout.

"The Palestinians must show the world that they will fight terrorism and govern in a peaceful way," Bush said in his weekly radio address Saturday.

Tawfiq Abu Khoussa, a spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry, which oversees security in Palestinian-controlled areas, said Hamas remains committed to a cease-fire Israel and the Palestinians declared in February.

"It wasn't secret that a Hamas military wing in Gaza exists, and Mohammed Deif is still alive," he said. "All Palestinian factions are committed to the truce, including Hamas, and we see nothing new in Hamas' position toward the truce."

Hamas has scaled back its attacks since the truce declaration, but Israel says the group is using the lull to rearm. Israel has said any resumption of peace talks would depend on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' disarming Hamas and other militant groups.

Deif's comments on continuing the armed struggle echoed those made by Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar shortly after the Gaza pullout began. Zahar credited the resistance with driving Israel out of Gaza and said the armed struggle now must move to the West Bank.

Although Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has hinted he would be willing to dismantle small, isolated Jewish settlements in the West Bank, he has made it clear that he sees the Gaza pullout as solidifying Israel's grip on major West Bank settlement blocs, where most Jewish settlers live.

With Palestinian parliamentary elections nearing, the Deif videotape also was Hamas' latest salvo in a power struggle between militants and the Palestinian government over who should receive credit for the Gaza withdrawal.

Hamas claims that years of suicide bombings and rocket attacks drove the Israelis out. Abbas, a vocal critic of violence who aspires to renewing peace talks with Israel, has tried to shore up his standing with promises he can improve life in Gaza after the withdrawal.

In an open challenge to Abbas, Deif rejected calls to disarm, though he said differences between Palestinian groups should be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

"We warn against touching these weapons, and want to keep them as an effective element to liberate the rest of our homeland," he said. "We want to use dialogue to solve any differences in order to protect our Palestinian blood and our national achievement."

Israeli troops murder five civilians in West Bank

Israeli troops murder five civilians in West Bank Al-Khalil, Aug 25, IRNA
Palestine-West Bank
Israeli death squads on Wednesday night killed at least five Palestinians, including at least two children at a refugee camp in the northern West Bank.

Palestinian security sources said the killings occurred shortly before midnight at the Tulkarm refugee camp.

The victims were identified as Muhammed Tareq Othman, 14 years; Anas Abu Zeina, 15, Mahmoud Hdeib, 17, Majdee Atiyya, 19 and Adel Abu Khalieel, 25.

Palestinian sources said Israeli troops stormed the home of a local citizen and murdered the five people.

The Israeli occupation army claimed that One of the five was affiliated with the Islamic Jihad organization.

The other, claimed the army, had been involved in "throwing fire cocktails" and stones on Israeli forces.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei labeled the killings a "nefarious crime."
He accused the Israeli army of pushing Palestinians to carry out retaliatory attacks.

"They have murdered five innocent people, now how can we convince our people to keep quiet?"
Palestinian resistance organizations, especially the military wings of Fatah and Islamic Jihad, have vowed to respond in kind to the latest Israeli terrorist attack.


source-irna

Click here to read the HARETZ version of the events reported above and look at the diferences

august 25 PA decries 'Israeli crime' in Tulkarm

PA decries 'Israeli crime' in Tulkarm


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khaled abu toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 26, 2005

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The Palestinian Authority on Thursday condemned the killing of five Palestinians by the IDF in Tulkarm late on Wednesday night, saying Israel would have to bear the consequences of the operation.

Several armed groups threatened to resume their attacks on Israel in response to the killings.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said the Israeli "despicable crime" was in the context of continued attempts by Israel to destroy the unofficial truce and the peace process.

"This is happening at a time when the Palestinian Authority is trying to preserve the period of calm and abide by agreements reached with Israel," Abbas said in a statement. "Israel is seeking to escalate tensions and explode the situation to avoid fulfilling its commitments."

Abbas said Israel would have to bear the consequences of its "destructive policy toward the truce and the peace process."

PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei told reporters in Ramallah that the killings showed Israel was not interested in maintaining the calm. "This is a brutal operation," he said. "Israel is continuing to perpetrate crimes, including the construction of the racist separation wall and settlements, especially in Jerusalem and its surroundings." Qurei said the situation was now "extremely dangerous" and called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to halt its settlement policy.

"We can no longer remain silent," he added. "Israel's actions make it impossible to establish a viable Palestinian state and don't offer any hope for peace. Jerusalem is a red line for all Palestinians that should not be crossed. Our people can't celebrate and dance in the Gaza Strip while Jerusalem and the West Bank are weeping."

PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the Tulkarm operation as a "massacre," saying it would destroy all efforts to revive the peace process. "The presence of the Israeli army in Tulkarm is in violation of agreements and understandings reached with the Palestinian Authority," he said.

"They had handed over Tulkarm [to the PA] and said that they would stop the violence against Palestinians everywhere. Three of the martyrs were wanted by Israel and had been recruited to the Palestinian security forces in line with understandings reached recently with Israel."

Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other armed groups in the West Bank and Gaza Strip threatened to retaliate for the five Palestinians killed in Tulkarm.

"All options are open for the Palestinian resistance to teach the Zionist enemy a harsh lesson in response to this crime," said Mushir al-Masri, a spokesman for Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "The Israeli enemy is risking the lives of its soldiers and settlers after committing this crime. This cowardly attack shows how bloody this enemy is."

Islamic Jihad representative Nafez Azzam said the incident in Tulkarm showed that Israel has not changed its policies after disengagement. "Israel does not care about the efforts made to achieve calm," he said. "Israel is determined to pursue its aggression on our people. The resistance option remains the main choice for Islamic Jihad."

Another Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad al-Hindi, said the Israeli operation would not pass unpunished. "The Palestinian people are capable of responding to the crimes that are being committed against them," he said. "The resistance groups will find the right time and place to retaliate."

A number of Fatah militias also called for resuming attacks on Israel. The Aksa Martyrs Brigades called in leaflets distributed in the West Bank for a response that would lead to an "earthquake" in Israel.

"We call on all the fighters from all the groups to respond in a way that would create an earthquake in the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem," the group said. "The resistance is the only way left to humiliate this enemy. Our message to [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon is that we are coming."

The Popular Resistance Committees, an alliance of armed groups dominated by Fatah, announced that its members would resume rocket attacks on Israel. The announcement came shortly after the group claimed responsibility for the firing of a Kassam rocket at Sderot.

Ribhi Amarah, a top Islamic Jihad fugitive who was the target of the IDF raid, said on Thursday that he managed to escape unharmed from the scene. He lashed out at the PA and its security forces for failing to crack down on Palestinians suspected of collaboration with Israel.

"The Palestinian Authority and its security forces are responsible for this crime because they're not chasing the collaborators and traitors and wiping them out," he said after the funeral of the five Palestinians. "We will not forget the blood of our martyrs and we will respond quickly."

The United States urged restraint from Israel and the Palestinian Authority. "We always denounce any violence and we urge both sides to exercise calm," said White House spokesman Trent Duffy, speaking from Crawford, Texas, where US President George W. Bush was vacationing.


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barghouti

Information on Marwan and Ahmed Barghouti
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
April 15, 2002

Marwan Hatib Barghouti - Ramallah

On April 14, 2002 an IDF force in Ramallah arrested Marwan Barghouti, head of the Fatah supreme committee in the West Bank and leader of the military wing of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, which between September 2000 - April 2002 carried out thousands of terror attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings.

1. Marwan Barghouti Served as Secretary General of Fatah in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, a member of the Palestinian legislature, head of the Tanzim, and the founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades which has carried out a large number of deadly terrorist attacks killing scores of Israelis and wounding hundreds.

2. In the framework of his activities, he has received large amounts of funds from different sources both inside and outside Israel. Among these sources is the Palestinian Authority. The specific allocations of these funds were authorized by the actual signature of Yassser Arafat. These funds were used by Marwan Barghouti to finance many activities carried out by terror cells in the West Bank.

3. Marwan Barghouti served as the most senior official in the Al-Aqsa Brigades. Nasser Avis, who was recently captured in Samaria, and Ahmed Barghouti, who was Marwan Barghouti's personal assistant, reported directly to him. These two served as his operational officers and, under the initiative of Marwan Barghouti, launched dozens of attacks, including a large number of suicide bombings within Israel.

4. The following are some of the more heinous terror attacks for which Marwan Barghouti is responsible:


Jun 12, 2001 - The murder of a Greek Orthodox monk on the road to Ma'ale Adumim.

Jan 17, 2002 - The shooting attack during a bat mitzva celebration at a banquet hall in Hadera. Six Israelis were killed in this attack, 26 were injured.

Jan 22, 2002 - The shooting spree on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. Two Israelis were killed, 37 wounded.

Feb 25, 2002 - The shooting attack in the Jerusalem residential neighborhood of Neve Ya'acov. One Israeli policewoman was killed, 9 Israelis were wounded.

Feb 27, 2002 - The murder of an Israeli at a coffee factory in the Atarot industrial zone of Jerusalem.

Feb 27, 2002 - The suicide attack perpetrated by Daryan Abu Aysha at the Maccabim checkpoint in which two policeman were injured.

Mar 5, 2002 - The shooting spree at the Tel Aviv Seafood restaurant. Three Israelis were killed, 31 wounded.

Mar 8, 2002 - A suicide terrorist was killed in Daheat el Barid as he was on his way to carry out an attack in Jerusalem.

Mar 27, 2002 - The interception of an ambulance and the confiscation of an explosive belt which was being smuggled from Samaria into Barghouti's terrorist infrastructure in Ramallah.
Marwan Barghouti was also directly responsible for operating the terrorist cell of Raed Karmi in Tulkaram which carried out a series of deadly terrorist attacks.


Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti

1. Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti was arrested on April 15, 2002 in a joint operation between the IDF and the Israel Security Agency. Ahmed is a relative of Marwan Barghouti, the head of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military branch of Fatah's Tanzim.

2. Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti was born in 1976 and originally resided in the government projects in El Bireh. Since 1997 he has been known as Marwan Barghouti's driver, although in actuality he has served as Marwan Barghouti's senior aide. In 1999 he joined the Palestinian police. He was a member of the terror cell which carried out many shooting attacks against IDF soldiers in the area around Ramallah. Since the year 2001, he has served as Marwan Barghouti's bureau chief and as the director and coordinator of terrorist attacks against Israel, under the direction of Marwan Barghouti.

3. Since the beginning of 2002 he has stood at the head of the Ramallah Al-Aqsa Brigades and has acted under the direction of Marwan Barghouti, with the knowledge of Yasser Arafat and in coodination with Nasser Avis from Nablus in carrying out suicide terror attacks within Israel.

4. Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti has directed and carried out the following terror attacks in 2002:


Jan 22, 2002 - The shooting spree on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem. Two Israelis were killed, 37 wounded.

Jan 17, 2002 - Three terrorists were arrested on their way from Nablus to Ramallah where they were to meet Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti. From their meeting, the terrorists were to go on their way to Jerusalem where they were to carry out a suicide terrorist attack.

Feb 25, 2002 - The shooting attack in the Jerusalem residential neighborhood of Neve Yaacov. One Israeli policewoman was killed, 9 Israelis were wounded.

Feb 27, 2002 - The murder of an Israeli at a coffee factory in the Atarot industrial zone of Jerusalem.

Feb 27, 2002 - The suicide attack perpetrated by Daryan Abu Aysha and the Maccabim checkpoint in which two policeman were injured.

Mar 5, 2002 - The shooting spree at the Tel Aviv Seafood restaurant Three Israelis were killed, 31 wounded.

Mar 8, 2002 - The interception of a suicide terrorist with an explosive belt along with his handler in Daheat el Barid. The attack was thwarted.

Mar 27, 2002 - The interception of an ambulance and the confiscation of an explosive belt which was being smuggled from Samaria into in Ramallah, under the coordination of Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti.
Additionally, Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti planned to send an additional suicide terrorist who was arrested once the IDF entered Ramallah.

Over the course of the year 2002 the name of Ahmed Taleb Mustafa Barghouti was submitted to the Palestinian Security Forces a number of times. The Palestinian Security Forces refused to arrest him and even warned him about Israel's knowledge of his hostile terrorist activities.

* * *

On July 30, 2003, a military court sentenced Ahmed Barghouti to 13 life sentences, after convicting him of orchestrating attacks that killed 12 Israelis.


some information about barghouti trial.click here

25 April 2002
Marwan Barghouti's Connection to Terror

(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)

Muhammad Abdullah, a taxi driver from Bir-Nabalah and a Tanzim-Fatah operative, who was arrested during Operation Defensive Shield, related during questioning that he committed the shooting attack on the French Hill-Ramot road in Jerusalem, in which an Israeli woman was killed, on the request of Marwan Barghouti.

In addition he participated in aiding the infiltration of a terrorist who caried out a shooting attack on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, in which two Israelis were killed. Muhammad said that after Raed Karmi was killed, Barghouti demanded that his cell members carry out a revenge terrorist attack that same day. They received this instruction from his assistant and right-hand man, Ahmed Barghouti. A few hours later the cell members carried out a shooting attack on an Israeli vehicle near a gas station in Givat Ze'ev, in which one Israeli woman was killed and another injured.

Additional information discovered during the questioning of several Tanzim operatives detained in Operation Defensive Shield points to the direct involvement of Marwan Barghouti in terror, as expressed among others in his ordering of terror attacks, the funding of terrorist activity and the supply of weapons to the terrorists.

Following are several examples:

Bilal Barghouti - resident of Beit Rima, senior Hamas operative arrested by IDF forces in the Preventative Intelligence Headquarters in Bitunia. He related that during the time he was wanted by the Israelis he lived a short while in Marwan Barghouti's house. During his stay there he saw a number of weapons, and when he left the house Barghouti armed him with a gun for his use.

Majad Ziada, resident of Ramallah, related that he participated in many shooting attacks against the Israeli security forces and against Israelis. Six months ago he participated in a shooting attack on the Beit-El bypass road, in a shooting attack on an IDF base in Bitunia, a shooting attack in the Tira area, and several other shooting attacks in which there were no casualties. In at least two attacks the terrorist cell carrying out the shooting attacks used a silver Mazda 323 belonging to the son of Marwan Barghouti.

Amir Abu Radha, resident of Ramallah, Tanzim operative, related that he participated in many shooting attacks against Israeli security forces and against Israeli villages near Ramallah. He also related that he and his terrorist cell received extensive logistical aid in the purchase of weapons and ammunition, as well as paychecks from Marwan Barghouti.

Bashar Barghouti - resident of El-Bira, graduated from medical school in Iraq, worked as a specializing doctor in the Al-Mukassed Hospital in Ramallah. He related that he heard from another military activist who was involved in shooting attacks, that he gave Barghouti a '87 Subaru vehicle in which terrorists planned to infiltrate into Israel and carry out suicide attacks.

Haitam Hamdan, resident of Beit-Sira, military operative in the Al-Aqsa brigades, who was arrested by IDF forces in the Preventative Intelligence building in Bitunia, and who was involved in two shooting attacks on the Atarot road, related that he received assistance and guidance in his activities directly from Ahmed Barghouti, with the knowledge of Marwan Barghouti.

Barghouti - Gaza pullout was victory for the resistance

Gaza pullout is victory for resistance: Barghuti Thu Aug 18, 7:03 AM ET



The jailed leader of the Palestinian uprising, Marwan Barghuti, hailed the ongoing pullout from the Gaza Strip as a "victory for the resistance" over the Israeli occupation.

"This victory confirms the message that we have been preaching since the first day of the intifada: that rebellion and resistance is the best formula through which to end the occupation and achieve liberty and independence," Barghuti said in a statement published by a movement campaigning for his release.

"The destruction of Gush Katif (the main Gaza settlement bloc) is the first step towards the collapse of the whole settlement project," he said Thursday.

"This victory would not have been achieved without the massive public involvement in the resistance and intifada and compensates for the blood spilled by the thousands of martyrs," he added.

Barghuthi, the leader in the West Bank of the dominant Fatah faction, is widely regarded as the inspiration by the five-year Palestinian uprising.

He was handed five life sentences in June 2004 after being convicted of involvement in deadly anti-Israeli attacks.

Aug 25

Islamic Jihad militants demonstrate in the Khan Yunis refugee camp. Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas accused Israel of wrecking prospects for peace after soldiers killed five militants and plans were unveiled to expand the largest West Bank settlement.(AFP/Mohammed Abed)

Aug 25 Ab Elreesh brigades

Dressed in a white robe representing a suicide bomber, a masked militant of the Abu-Elreesh Brigades, a group with links to the ruling Fatah party, marches during a rally to celebrate Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and four West Bank settlements, in Gaza City, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005. Israel completed the evacuation of residents from all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip this week, and is scheduled to complete its withdrawal, including the pull-out of its troops and the demolition of settlers' houses, by mid-September. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

August 25 Abu Elreesh Brigades ?

Dressed in white robes representing suicide bombers, masked militants of the Abu-Elreesh Brigades, a group with links to the ruling Fatah party, march during a rally to celebrate Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and four West Bank settlements, in Gaza City, Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005. Israel completed the evacuation of residents from all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip this week, and is scheduled to complete its withdrawal, including the pull-out of its troops and the demolition of settlers' houses, by mid-September. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
AP - Aug 25 10:03 AM

August 22 Palestinian Groups Jostle for Gaza Control

Click here

August 22 Palestinian Groups Jostle for Gaza Control
Palestinian Groups Jostle for Gaza Control By LARA SUKHTIAN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 22, 4:23 PM ET



In a military training camp run by the ruling Fatah movement, hundreds of young Palestinians marched in formation Monday and sprinted across a sandy lot.

Nearby, hundreds of Islamic Jihad gunmen in black ski masks paraded in the streets, some riding in jeeps, raising AK-47 assault rifles and posing with rocket launchers.

Yet a third militant group, Hamas, boasted on its Web site that it has killed more Israelis in more Gaza attacks than any of its rivals — and that it alone deserves credit for Israel's historic pullout from the Mediterranean strip.

Competition among armed Palestinian groups over control of Gaza's lawless towns intensified Monday as Israeli settlers cleared out the last of 21 Jewish settlements.

The jostling for position has raised tensions as well as concerns about armed conflict.

"This huge military presence among people in Gaza will lead to more chaos, will weaken the Palestinian Authority and will create more violence in society," said Talal Okal, a political analyst in Gaza. "Fatah is losing control and Hamas is rising up."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas wants to see carefully orchestrated victory marches under the Palestinian national flag. However, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and a few tiny Palestinian Liberation Organization factions have ignored his appeals, already parading their gunmen in a show of force and planning parades once the last Israeli soldiers leave in the coming weeks.

On Monday, Islamic Jihad and Hamas members in uniforms staged marches in Rafah in southern Gaza and in Nablus in the West Bank, burning cardboard models of Israeli settlements and tanks as crowds cheered.

About 10,000 people attended the Hamas rally in Gaza City, where the group played film clips of it building rockets and digging tunnels under Israeli army posts. Over loudspeakers, the group played a song in Hebrew, with the words, "Hamas, Hamas, Hamas, our goal is the head of Sharon," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

A Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said the group deserves a share of power, and there cannot be just one decision-maker.

Abbas cannot compete with such popular displays, since he has advocated nonviolence and hopes to negotiate a peace deal with Israel. However, in recent speeches he has increasingly alluded to violence as a means of driving Israel out.

"Today we are getting part of the payoff, of your sacrifice, by seeing the last settlers leaving Gaza," Abbas told hundreds of disabled Palestinians, many wounded in the fighting. "The credit for the evacuation is for you and for the martyrs who sacrificed themselves and gave their lives for the homeland."

However, it appeared his Fatah party did not want to hold back.

In southern Gaza, near what was once the Gush Katif bloc of Israeli settlements, members of Fatah's military wing, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, have organized three military training camps for more than 3,000 activists.

The goal is twofold, organizers said: to recruit large numbers to swell the ranks in Fatah victory marches and to be ready for possible street battles with Hamas.

One training camp was set up in Rafah in a dusty lot about the size of two football fields. Some 700 young men, both Al Aqsa veterans and unemployed with time on their hands, marched in formation, crawled through the sand and did sprints, as trainers in camouflage uniforms barked orders through bullhorns.

Graduates will be members of the "Army of Victory and Liberation," said the head coach, who identified himself only by his nom-de-guerre, Abu Nimr.

"It is our duty as the Fatah movement to make sure that we have the biggest celebrations," said another organizer, Mohammed Al Bouji. "We are getting them together so if there is trouble, our boys will be ready."

Asked what kind of trouble, he said: "You know, trouble with Hamas."

Al Bouji said he and his campers were ready to help Palestinian security forces assert control over the territories and settlement assets Israel leaves behind. Israel is demolishing settlers' homes but leaving greenhouses intact. Abbas declared over the weekend that all settlement real estate would fall under government control.

"If they (Hamas) lay their hands on even one settlement, be sure we will take over 10," said Yasser Khatib, head of Al Aqsa in southern Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority distanced itself from the training camps.

"There is no Fatah army, no popular army," said Tawfik Abu Khoussa, a Palestinian Interior Ministry spokesman. "We want to get rid of the military images. After the withdrawal, there is one authority and that's it."

However, the Al Aqsa men said they were getting Fatah funding for the camps, and Palestinian security officials sat in on one of Monday's interviews with camp organizers.

In organizing a small private army, Fatah gunmen in southern Gaza also appeared to be sending a warning to the Palestinian Authority that they could make trouble if jobs are not found for them in the security forces. Many gunmen believe they are entitled to government posts, saying they made personal sacrifices in fighting Israel.

However, Finance Minister Salam Fayyad has imposed a hiring freeze in the security forces under intense pressure from the international donor community, which is partially bankrolling the Palestinian Authority and has complained about a bloated public payroll.

Former Palestinian Cabinet minister Ziad Abu Amr, a mediator between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, said the Palestinians have so far handled themselves well during the Israeli pullout, but he was increasingly worried about the growing competition between militants.

Hamas believes it has an edge over its rivals, citing Israeli military statistics to claim it carried out 54 percent of 400 attacks in Gaza during the past five years.

The statistics, published Monday, "are a document of Hamas' struggle and Hamas' role in liberating this precious part of the homeland," spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.

"It made this victory (the Gaza withdrawal) possible, and this victory can be repeated."

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