RAMALLAH,
West Bank, October 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A Palestinian
official said Saturday the U.S.-backed Middle East peace plan was doomed
to failure because of Israeli resistance and a lack of resolve on the
part of Washington.
"The
plan has no future because Israel will reject it and the United States
is not ready to do anything to push it forward, and that is why the
Palestinian position is irrelevant," said acting labor minister
Ghassan al-Khatib, the same day U.S. Middle East envoy William Burns
left Israel.
Khatib
ripped apart the U.S.-backed plan for "dictating conditions on
reform including on the legislative elections and the nomination of a
prime minister. All of this is internal Palestinian affairs. We reject
such dictates."
"This
plan is for public relations in order to satisfy other Arab
countries," he added.
Burns
flew off for Yemen Saturday after a three-day visit to Israel and the
Palestinian territories that ended with little to show for his efforts
to push the peace process forward.
He
has been trying to convince both Israel and the Palestinians to back the
plan, endorsed by the diplomatic quartet of Washington, the United
Nations, the European Union and Russia.
But
he has received a chilly reception from both sides for the three-phase
peace plan, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state existing
alongside Israel by 2005.
A
top advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told state radio
Saturday the plan fails to meet Israeli security demands, said AFP.
"We
have affirmed to Burns that the question of security must take priority
while the present plan does not treat this dossier in a clear
fashion," said Saar.
"It
cannot be to have the least political process while terrorism
continues," he said.
Burn’s
visit ended as the Israeli army tightened its noose on Jenin, which it
invaded early Friday.
Israeli
troops have abducted six resistance fighters in the West Bank town,
military sources said.
They
had also taken over 40 houses and imposed a blanket curfew since they
poured into the town in their biggest operation in at least three
months, the sources said.
The
army had also destroyed the family homes of the two teenage Palestinian
bombers from Islamic Jihad who carried out Monday's bomb attack.
The
offensive, named Operation Vanguard, saw the army abduct a top northern
West Bank official of Islamic Jihad which has carried out a number of
attacks on Israel in recent months.
"We
do not have any choice to avoid new attacks. We cannot be content to
surround Jenin. We must penetrate here to put an end to the preparations
of Jihad and Hamas," an officer told public radio.
The
officer vowed the campaign would go on for "several days".
Palestinian security sources confirmed the abductions but said none of
those picked up were “militants”. The army had "conducted
random arrests", one source said.
Hundreds
of soldiers were hunting 20 wanted alleged “militants” in this West
Bank town that Israel says served as the nerve center for Monday's
bombing, which left 14 Israeli soldiers dead.
Palestinian
security and hospital sources said five Palestinians were hit by Israeli
gunfire in Friday's operation, including a 17-year-old boy who was
seriously wounded.
