Thursday, February 10, 2005
...again. And if they won't stop this time, he'll ask them again, and if they still won't do it, he shall be most put out!
Outfits like the BBC and Reuters continue to portray a "cycle" of violence, while Israeli civilians continue to put up with a literal artillery barrage just hours after a photo-op peace handshake. Who's fault is that? Who's responsibility is it to stop it? Abbas'. Who's responsibility is it to defend Israeli citizens? Sharon's.
Abbas has toned down the TV rhetoric and he's begun to deploy police. He has a long way to go.
Haaretz: Abbas orders PA forces to end shelling by Gaza militants
A second barrage was launched several hours later. One mortar shell was fired at a settlement in northern Gaza and three more in southern Gaza, Army Radio reported. There were no casualties or damage...
...Abbas said he had issued "strict instructions" to his security forces to prevent any violations of the cease-fire. He also said he is planning a series of "decisions and measures" for his forces, but did not elaborate.
The Palestinian leader also said that he was committed to the agreements he had reached at the summit in Egypt, which saw Israeli and Palestinian declarations to end hostilities between the two sides after more than four years.
Israel has welcomed Abbas' efforts so far, but a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he must take far tougher action against the militants.
The Israel Defense Forces said that 17 mortar shells had struck Israeli targets Thursday, most of which exploded near the Neveh Dekalim settlement in the Gush Katif bloc.
A number of the shells fell within Palestinian areas of the Strip.
No injuries were immediately reported, although one of the houses in the settlement sustained damage.
IDF sources said the fire was coming from areas in which Palestinian Authority security officers are deployed, and noted that troops returned fire...
Arab peace offering
Update: At least Abbas is firing a few people:
JPost: Abbas fires top security chiefs after barrages pound Gaza
The move came just hours after Abbas ordered security forces to stop militants from firing at the settlements in Gaza.
"These are very dangerous developments, and they violate the legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority," Abu Libdeh said. "No one can continue with these violations."
The firings led Abbas to reportedly dismiss chief of public security, Brig. Gen. Abdel Razek Majaidie.
In addition, PA officials said the Palestinian leader also sacked Colonel Omar Ashour, commander of PA security forces in the southern Gaza Strip.
As a result of an overnight raid on a Gaza prison, Abbas also fired Saeb al-Ajez, head of the PA Civil Police.
Over 30 gunmen stormed Gaza Central Prison early Thursday killing two prisoners and kidnapping a third, whose body was later found in an open field. The attack itself is related to rivalries between rival families.
Five policemen were injured during the raid, the first of its kind since Abbas took over as PA chairman.
Meanwhile, OC Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Dan Harel, is slated to meet with the commander of PA forces in Gaza, Mussa Arafat, on Thursday evening.
The meeting was scheduled several days ago, but will naturally deal with Thursday's barrages. Harel is expected to demand of Arafat to crack down on the firing squads.
Meanwhile, the settlers are claiming a total of 38 Kassam rockets and mortar shells have been fired at settlements. The IDF said at least 25 had been fired.
The discrepancy lies in the fact that some of the mortar shells exploded in Palestinian areas, which the IDF does not include in its tally. In addition, the IDF only includes in its count shells or rockets they can locate.
No wounded have been reported, but early Thursday damage was caused to one building and to the electrical system in one of the settlements.
As of Thursday afternoon, the IDF had no plans to launch any offensive operations...
