http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer&cid=1104895134072
Tension mounts between Hamas and PA Khaled Abu Toameh, THE JERUSALEM POST Jan. 5, 2005 As tensions mount between Hamas and Fatah over the effectiveness of firing rockets at Israel, fears are growing for the safety of PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). "We're very worried for his safety because of the campaign of incitement waged against him by Hamas and several other groups," a senior PA official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post. The official threatened that the PA will launch a "Fallujah-style" operation against Hamas and its supporters if the movement continues its verbal offensive against Abbas. On Wednesday, Hamas said Abbas's criticism of rocket attacks encourage Israel to step up its military operations in the Gaza Strip. "These attacks on our fighters don't serve the interests of the people," it said in a statement issued by its Gaza leadership. "The enemy is exploiting these remarks to pursue its aggression on our people." Sources close to Hamas, which is boycotting the January 9 PA chairmanship election, said the movement's leaders refused to meet with Abbas during his recent visit to Gaza. They said Hamas does not want to be seen as siding with Abbas or any other candidate. Hamas officials said a number of candidates who asked to meet with its leaders were turned down. In Damascus, Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk said Abbas's call for an end to rocket attacks serves the interests of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "These statements are not in the right direction," he said. Islamic Jihad representative Ziyad Nakhal also criticized Abbas's remark, saying that the "resistance is the right response to the occupation and to Israel's practices against the Palestinian people." Abbas's Fatah faction launched a counterattack by accusing Hamas of incitement. Leaflets distributed by Fatah activists in the West Bank urged Hamas to halt its campaign of incitement against Abbas and expressed support for his call to end the rocket attacks. "Fatah condemns Hamas's open incitement against Abu Mazen," the fliers added, noting that the Islamic movement had offered Abbas to keep Israeli and Palestinian civilians out of the cycle of violence during talks. "We urge Hamas to stop its campaign of incitement to avoid internecine fighting and confusion and to preserve national unity. We call on Hamas to abide by previous decisions to put an end to security chaos and lawlessness because differences don,t serve the interests of the Palestinians." Meanwhile, PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei claimed that Israel has prepared a plan to destroy next week's election. Speaking in Ramallah during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, he said IDF operations in the Gaza Strip over the past week "prove that Israel is carrying out a plan to sabotage the vote." He said the PA leadership is prepared to discuss with Israel the possibility of reaching a cease-fire and called on the international community to help both sides in returning to the negotiating table. Qurei told Gul that the PA is now in the process of reconstructing its security forces by merging them into three organizations. After meeting with PA Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, Gul said Turkey is prepared to assist in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip following the proposed Israeli withdrawal. "The Turkish people will continue to give strong support to the Palestinian cause," Gul said. "Turkey will expend great efforts to contribute to the peace process and Turkey is also preparing programs to help in the economic and social needs of the Palestinian people." PA Interim Chairman Rouhi Fattouh announced that the PA would never sign a peace agreement with Israel until it releases all Palestinian prisoners. Addressing families of Palestinians killed in the fighting, he pledged to work toward achieving a "just and comprehensive peace" that will guarantee the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip, including east Jerusalem, the removal of all settlements and the security fence, and solving the issue of the refugees on the basis of UN Resolution 194. The families called on the candidates to refrain from hanging their posters over pictures of Palestinians killed. The families expressed outrage at the fact that election activists had been pasting posters of candidates over the pictures of their sons in many places in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. 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