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Israel
Abducts Four Palestinians As Sharon Rejects Ceasefire Proposal
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| Sharon
and Peres refuse one-year ceasefire proposal
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NABLUS,
West Bank, Jan 1 (News Agencies) - Israeli occupation troops and tanks
penetrated the Palestinian autonomous area of the West Bank at dawn Tuesday, and
abducted four Palestinian brothers, witnesses said, news agencies reported.
The
occupation troops rolled into Qabatiya, south of Jenin, and picked up the four,
including Nasser Zakarni, an activist of the Palestinian resistance movement,
Hamas, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A
fire fight broke out, and units of the Israeli occupation army left the area
with their captives, the witnesses said.
The Israeli occupation army, in a statement, said that its troops, backed by
armored cars, had detained three Palestinians, including Zakarani, in Qabatiya
-- a sector controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The
Palestinians abducted were taken away for questioning.
Meanwhile, far-right Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, refused to allow
Israeli President, Moshe Katsav, to address the Palestinian legislative council,
in which he was to introduce the idea of a one-year ceasefire between the
Israelis and Palestinians.
Earlier
Monday, Katsav's spokeswoman, Elisheva Braun-Lapidot, announced that "Katsav
has been invited by the former (Arab-Israeli Labor party) deputy, Abdel Wahab
Darawshe, to express support at the Palestinian legislative council for the idea
of a one-year ceasefire with the Palestinians."
"President
Katsav is ready to go to the end of the world to promote peace,” she said.
“He considered the idea (of speaking before the Palestinian Council) to be
interesting and he wants to talk about it with the Prime Minister.”
Israel public radio said Monday that Darawshe's idea to invite Katsav had
already won the preliminary agreement of the Palestinian Authority.
"[I] suggested that Katsav delivers a speech to the Palestinian Legislative
Council, in which he would regret the deaths of victims on both sides and call
for a return to the situation prevailing before the onset of the Intifada
(uprising), in order to allow a relaunch of peace negotiations," Darawshe
told AFP.
“It is now up to Sharon to give his green light to this initiative," he
said.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, also opposes Darawshe's initiative,
Israeli radio announced Tuesday morning.
In
another development, the United States remained silent Monday on weekend
suggestions
that special Middle East envoy, Anthony Zinni, could soon return to the region.
"There
is nothing new on Zinni at this time," deputy State Department spokesman,
Philip Reeker, said, referring reporters to comments made last week and earlier
this month by
Secretary
of State, Colin Powell, and his spokesman, Richard Boucher.
Zinni was sent to the region November 26, on what was described as an
"open-ended" mission to forge an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire, but
was recalled three weeks later amid increased Israeli aggression.
Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, announced late Monday that his recent call
for a ceasefire with Israel stemmed from his belief that carrying arms without
“a noble cause" was an "act of banditry."
"Like our revolutionary ancestors in the world, we say ... that carrying
the rifle without a noble cause is an act of banditry," Arafat said in a
televized speech marking the 37th anniversary of the creation of his resistance
Fatah movement.
"And
we have accompanied words with deeds," Arafat added, in reference to his
December 16th appeal for an end to all attacks on Israel which effectively drew
a sharp drop in violence.
Arafat hailed such "courageous initiatives ... which will be completed with
the creation of our independent state with its capital Jerusalem."
Arafat reminded that U.S. President, George W. Bush, had recently backed the
creation of a Palestinian state.
He also said a December 21 non-binding U.N. General Assembly resolution - which
came under strong Israeli criticism for calling for observers to be sent to the
occupied Palestinian territories - was "an international referendum backing
this (Palestinian) people and its cause."
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