Rajub proposed an indefinite Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire not just unilateral Palestinian truce

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, September 16 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – While Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s top security advisor proposed Tuesday, September 16, a new ceasefire with Israel, the occupation army stormed the West Bank town of Al-Khalil and gunned down a member of the Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad.

Colonel Jibril Rajub, who is the Palestinian leader's national security adviser, proposed an indefinite ceasefire with Israel, saying the Palestinian leadership could ensure respect for such a measure if Israel halted all its attacks and closures of the Palestinian territories.

He told Israeli state radio that the Palestinian leadership was able to ensure that all resistance groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, would respect such a ceasefire, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"The Palestinian leadership is ready to proclaim and respect a general ceasefire, but it must be mutual. Without mutuality, nothing will be," he said.

Asked to clarify the concept of mutuality, Rajoub said that the ceasefire would require the Israelis to "end their attacks, and lift the blockades and closures over the Palestinian population, which has been suffering for the last three years."

The proposal would also require Israel to cease construction of and in settlements and stop building the West Bank separation wall, the radio said.

"This indefinite ceasefire must enable the two parties to sit down and discuss a definitive settlement," Rajub added.

However, Israel spurned the new peace efforts, with a spokesman for Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon arguing Israel would not be "deceived" by a proposal from a top aide to Arafat, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday.

"We are not going to be lulled into this honey trap of a hudna, or ceasefire," Ranan Gissin told AFP.

The spokesman said the Palestinian proposal was a reaction by Arafat to an Israeli decision last week to "remove" him.

"We have been deceived many times by Arafat. When you put pressure on them, threatening to remove Arafat from here and remove this obstacle of peace suddenly they act."

Echoing the same position, Yuval Steinitz, the hawkish chairman of the Israeli Knesset defense and foreign affairs committee, said there could be "no question of accepting a truce which is dependent on Yasser Arafat."

Arafat himself called on Palestinian resistance groups late last month to renew their commitment to a truce, which they unilaterally declared on June 29 and was called off after a series of Israeli assassinations of resistance activists, particularly Hamas senior political leader Ismail Abu Shanab.

However Hamas rejected the appeal, accusing Israel of "torpedoing the truce with their assassinations of women, children and Palestinian political leaders."

"We cannot speak about a truce while aggression against the Palestinian people continues," Hamas political leader Abdelaziz al-Rantissi told AFP.

The Israeli government never recognized the truce, insisting it was internal agreement between the Palestinians.

More Killing

The body of Jihad activist killed by Israeli forces

Speaking the only language it recognizes, the Israeli army broke into a Palestinian residential area and assassinated a Jihad activist.

"A special unit from the army had surrounded a house in the Doura area where they wanted to arrest some Palestinian militants and killed one of them," an Israeli military source told AFP.

"The soldiers had ordered the occupants to leave the house and the Islamic Jihad activist -- who was armed and was wearing a bullet-proof jacket -- was shot as he tried to flee towards a group of civilians who were leaving the premises," he claimed.

The Israeli Haaretz identified the new Palestinian martyr as Majid Abu Dosh, a Jihad leader in Al-Khalil.

After killing him, Israeli Troops continued to fire missiles at the house, believing that another activist may have remained inside the house, said the daily on its website.

It said the slain activist tried to flee the house, throwing down his rifle before he was killed.

The operation came few hours after Israeli troops in the West Bank arrested nine Palestinians said to be from Hamas and Fatah.