Abu Mazen intends to launch negotiations with Hamas

By Mustafa el-Sawwaf, IOL Palestine Correspondent

GAZA, May 5 – (IslamOnline.net) - Israeli and Palestinian officials are working on a plan called “Gaza First”, envisaging full stoppage of all anti-Israeli resistance operations inside the Gaza strip, as a first step towards demilitarizing the 31-month old Palestinian Intifada.

According to this plan, published by the Israeli daily Ma’reef, Palestinian security forces - under the command of the Palestinian State Minister for Internal Security Mohammad Dahlan - will work gradually to stop resistance operations by Palestinian resistance factions against Israeli targets in the Palestinian occupied Strip.

In return, Israeli occupation forces will withdraw from the strip, allowing Palestinians to transport freely between its parts.

‘Gaza First’ clarified eventually after internal communications inside the Israeli Internal Security (Shin-Bith) and between Israeli and Palestinian high officials, according to the Israeli newspaper.

The paper added that, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Middle East Affairs William Burns, who is visiting Israel currently, will meet both Israeli and Palestinian officials to discuss the plan.

The United States told the Palestinians that ‘negotiations between the PA and Hamas resistance faction’ could not replace ‘Israel’s effective and firm clampdown on what it termed “terrorism”, the paper elaborated.

The U.S. statement came after statements by Abu Mazen to the effect that he does not intend to come to grips with the Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, preferring to launch negotiations in order to reach an agreement.

Ma’reef added that there are some “shadow communications” between Dahlan and the Israelis to arrange a meeting between him, Abu Mazen and the Israeli Minister of Defense Shaul Mufaz.

On the other hand, Israel has started preparing negotiating teams. Mufaz has finished forming a team working under his direct supervision, devoted to directing security communication affairs, in association with the Israeli army’s commanders and the new political-security leadership under Amus Gel’ad, the paper reported.

Meanwhile, the American administration insists on implementing the ‘road map’ and to cease fire between the two parties.

Arafat Under Fire

Mufaz will meet Abu Mazen and Dahlan to discuss the Roadmap

In another development, Israel accused the chief of the Palestinian authority Yasser Arafat of fizzling out Abu Mazen’s plan to stop operations against Israel claiming he is still dominating paying salaries to a number of the Palestinian security forces, and that he established a (new) Palestinian national security council chaired by Hani al-Hassan.

“The Palestinian Authority must understand that there will be no progress without a real war against ‘terrorism’. They (Palestinians) have to decide which path to go through.” An Israeli political source said.

“Arafat is doing his best to fizzle out the plan of Abu Mazen to stop the operations.”

Ma’reef expected that Israeli forces will not withdraw in the upcoming few days regarding to the Israeli-under-construction plan which is expected to take weeks to finalize.

In the light of many reports speculating potential “Palestinian operations” against Israeli targets, the paper reported that Israeli security forces were put in the maximum alert, referring to the possibility of making a full closure to the occupied territories during the memory of Israeli so-called independence day.